Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Waiting game as UCT and UWC increase fees
Clarity needed on JZ’s call for free education
UCT and UWC have announced an 8% fee increase for 2018 following President Jacob Zuma declaring fee-free education for most students.
UWC said first-year students who come from families with a combined income of R350 000 per year will be funded through grants administered by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for their full cost to study. This will include fees, prescribed study material, meals, accommodation, and, where applicable, to university or university-approved accommodation, and transport;
Those falling between the R350 000 and R600 000 bracket can apply for funding to cover the 8% increment.
Returning students who are NSFAS beneficiaries – with a combined household income not above R122 000 – will have their NSFAS loans converted into 100% grants while those classified as the missing middle will also have to apply for gap funding.
UCT is also increasing accommodation at residences by 10% and 12% for residences that offer meals.
Yesterday UCT announced the increases following a council meeting on December 9.
The university’s vice-chancellor, Max Price, said he delayed making the announcement in the hope that they might receive clarity from the Department of Higher Education and Training on the implications of the president’s statement on funding and fees.
Zuma announced on December 16 that the government would subsidise fees for students from poor and working class families, which include students enrolled at TVET Colleges or universities.
However questions have arisen around how this will be implemented in the face of weak economic growth.
“The decision to increase tuition and residence fees at UCT was not taken lightly, especially in the current atmosphere on university campuses across South Africa. It was taken after consulting with the representatives of the Students’ Representative Council and with the support of the University Finance Committee,” Price said.
However, Price explained that students who are receiving financial aid will not be affected by the increase.
“Everyone who is eligible, within the parameters set by NSFAS, will qualify for NSFAS funding, which UCT tops up if it is not adequate,” he added.
“For students from households above the NSFAS income threshold, but below family incomes of R600 000 per annum, UCT will continue, as in the past, to make available financial aid, mostly in the form of loans (what we call the Gap funding model).
“It appears likely that the department will cover the 8% increase also for students in the gap group. Taking this into account, the UCT financial aid packages will increase by the amount required to ensure that the out-of-pocket costs by NSFAS and Gap students do not increase. Living allowances for those living outside the UCT residence system will also increase.
“Depending on clarification from the department, the net effect of this is that students from these income brackets will be paying the same in 2018 as they were in 2015, which amounts to a decrease in real terms (accounting for inflation in this period) of about 20%.”
UCT SRC member Sihle Lozi said students would always take exception to increments that would result in the exclusion of others from getting an education.
“What we are seeing is institutions arrogantly announcing increments even after the president’s statement.
“We don’t want to delve into the politics of the governing party, nor do we want to be made pawns or tests cases in politics.
“The president said whatever he said, and now we want to see it implemented; they said free education and that is what we want to see.
“If the universities want to go in a different direction then we know the language that they understand and we speak it fluently and we can go at it all year.
“At the Budget speech we will be eager to hear how this will be implemented and next year.”
Student activist Chumani Maxwele said their interpretation of the university’s announcement is that it is only applicable to rich students.
“What we read into the announcement is that this only applies to the rich. They are being mysterious deliberately.”