NSFAS takes away hope of children

 

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is being taken to court by Trade Union Solidarity’s youth arm after the NSFAS alleged mismanagement that cost students to lose bursaries.

Many of these students are one of a lower income group without their own funds for studies, the bursary was the hope they had and has been taken away. The students who are asking that they continue receiving NSFAS funding, complained that they only receive messages to say that their household incomes exceeded the threshold. The students however argue that, that’s not the issue and that they in fact comply with the rules. The union said this matter is extremely urgent as they are consequences, one being without funding their institution will hold onto their marks.

The union said the fund was created for the less fortunate now they are being deprived of this by irregularities in the aid scheme. Solidarity refuses NSFAS’s claims that they acted fairly and within its rights by cancelling and withdrawing financial support to students. A lot of these students were able to attain their bursary successfully only to for NSFAS to suddenly stop paying. Anton van der Bijl, head of legal services at Solidarity, said, what NSFAS did is not only immoral but unethical as it seems like the scheme forgets many future depends of it.

In its court papers, Solidarity rejects NSFAS’s claims that it acted fairly and within its rights by cancelling and withdrawing financial support to students.

Solidarity say that all “irregularities” should be stopped immediately and requests the court to order NSFAS to honor what it stands for and with its students that have entered the agreement with.

By Evergelista Muza