UCT and SRC in agreement over students without digs

UCT said its executive and the Student Representative Council (SRC) had come to an agreement, following protests by the SRC.

On Saturday morning, a group of students blocked entrances to the Upper Campus before UCT’s Parents Orientation Day, in protest over students who were without accommodation due to fee blocks and other issues.

The SRC said the students were issued with withdrawals of residence notices due to outstanding fees and that the Student Housing Department and Vacation Accommodation Department had issued notices to vacate the premises on January 25.

Annually, UCT makes available accommodation in December and January to students for a number of reasons, including to students writing deferred exams.

Students would need to vacate the premises by a specific date for the process of allocating rooms to new and returning students. Students who owed fees and were in residences were told to vacate their rooms.

UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola said the Kramer Building which had been occupied by a few students, would be returning to full operation and staff based at the building would be able to resume duties.

Yesterday, Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande joined the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) management for a media briefing.

Nzimande said for this financial year, the Nsfas budget was projected to be R47.6 billion to fund an estimated 900 000 beneficiaries. Nsfas also projected a 7% increase in the number of students qualifying, compared with the 2022 financial year.

“Out of these qualifying students, more than 60% of undergraduate students in our public university system receive support from Nsfas and well over 90% of students in TVET colleges are Nsfas beneficiaries,” he said.

Nsfas closed its funding application cycle for the 2023 academic year yesterday. Nsfas has received more than 1.5 million applications from prospective students for the 2023 academic year. Board chairperson Ernest Khosa said more than 613 000 applications had been approved and provisionally funded, of which 338 000 were continuing students and 275 589 new applicants.

Khosa and Nzimande appealed to tertiary institutions to not turn students away who qualify for funding, and said a final list of Nsfas-confirmed students will be available by February 6.