Kick-start for student grants to begin 2018

THE ANC wants government to roll out free higher education from next year.

The governing party’s secretary-general Gwede Mantashe yesterday said at their lekgotla over the weekend it was agreed that from the 2018 academic year, poor students be subsidised when they enter higher education.

There has been widespread protests at higher education institutions since 2015 with students demanding free education.

President Jacob Zuma set up the Heher Commission to look into the feasibility of free higher education as a result of the protests. The commission completed its work last month and has until August 31 to send the report to Zuma.

Mantashe said while they wait for the report, plans have to be put in place for next year.

“The Heher Commission is appointed to go through issue. We should not stop thinking of the issue. No child should be deprived of the right to development because of the economic status of the family. That is what is driving us. Heher will come with the report and we will look into it and take further decisions.”

Mantashe announced that fully subsidised grants should be provided to academically qualifying poor students with a yearly combined household income of R150 000 and below. He said students with an annual combined household income of between R150 000 and R600 000 should be subsidised through a combination of grants and income contingent affordable loans with their families contributing to a portion of their studies.

“If we can introduce this for the firstyear students in 2018, we will be beginning to phase in the fee-free education at higher learning. Students will be required to maintain adequate academic performance or (will) be disqualified.”

He said it was up to the cabinet lekgotla – which will be held today – to devise ways of implementing the policy.

If it is introduced, it will be an addition to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and the Ikusasa Financial Aid Scheme. Ikusasa was introduced as a pilot project this year to help fund “missing middle” students with household incomes of between R122 000 and R600 000.

On matters of South Africa’s economy, Mantashe said the lekgotla endorsed Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba’s 14-point plan to rescue the country from the recession.