By Qaqamba Matundu

Photo: Armand Hough/African News Agency
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was created in South Africa to provide financial assistance to eligible students who couldn’t afford to pay for their higher education. It aims to increase access to tertiary education and reduce financial barriers for students from low-income families. NSFAS helps cover tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses, making education more accessible and equitable for a wider range of students.
In June, NSFAS, introduced various ways of paying money to students via new platforms, these includes TENET, Norraco, Izaga etc which are way too expensive for students. The charges that come with those platforms are way too extra. Some students don’t get their money and others get it late. Others depend on that money only which makes things hard for them. They must pay for everything starting from food, toiletries clothes and so on. With food prices going up everyday students believe they will live with hunger.
“Students from Stellenbosch University, CPUT and UWC took to the streets to demand an intervention from the government to find solutions for NSFAS’s problematic new payment system as well as hundreds of students being defunded for various reasons.” Says Byron Lukas from Daily voice.
The issue with NSFAS is continuing but the fact that accessible education is on demand raises too many worries. Students are not supposed to be stressing about money rather only their studies. It is critical that the key parties solve these concerns quickly and complexly to provide a brighter future for South African students.