Johannesburg - Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Blade Nzimande laid out government's roadmap for the transformation of universities and TVET colleges in Parliament on Tuesday.
Whilst giving an update on the developments for universities, Nzimande said that government was committed to ensuring all financially needy, academically deserving, university and TVET students, were able to gain access to universities and TVET colleges.
In his statement Nzimande said that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) supports approximately 480 000 poor undergraduate students to access university and TVET colleges.
Nzimande laid out what he called a roadmap to "transform post-school education and training" with a proposed report on governments short to medium term, and long term plans.
"In the short term, we have announced a number of interventions to assist students who come from poor and middle class families and for the first time in the history of post-school education, the so-called 'missing middle'."
Short to medium term plans:
- Students from families with an annual family income of up to R600 000 will experience a no fee increase in the 2017 academic year.
- NSFAS qualifying students will not pay any registration or upfront fees in 2017.
- Students from households with an annual family income of up to R600 000 will be allowed to register without paying any upfront or registration fees in 2017.
- All NSFAS qualifying students who are registered in 2016, having historical student debt with institutions of higher education will be allowed to register in 2017
- All universities will ensure that "missing middle" students who have historical student debt are not excluded on the basis of debt and will also be allowed to register in 2017.
- NSFAS will only collect debt from all graduates a year after they finished their studies.
Nzimande said that the long term plans were in a report from Mr Sizwe Nxasana, the Chairperson of the NSFAS Board on the development of support and funding model for poor and "missing middle" students. He said that the report would be presented to Cabinet for consideration and decision.
Nzimande also stated that government was processing the draft Policy and Revised Funding Framework for Universities which "emanated from the recommendations of the report from the Ministerial Committee on the Review of the Funding of Universities which was led by the now Deputy President, Mr Cyril Ramphosa".
Government's plan to transform tertiary education was also met, according to Nzimande, by the establishment of three new universities. "The University of Mpumalanga in Mpumalanga, Sol Plaatje University in the Northern Cape, and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Gauteng".
Nzimande stated that President Jacob Zuma's commission of inquiry into the feasibility of a fee free higher education and training "continues to do its work".
He said that Stats SA's latest survey indicates that part of the current pressure on university cost structures is a result of the interventions the government has made have made.
"The proportion of people over 20 years of age with post school education has increased from 9.3% in 2009 to 14.1% in 2015.
"Never before have so many students had their fees paid by government alone or combined with bursaries and support from alumni. To name just two examples, at the University of Johannesburg 75% of students do not pay at all or a large part of their own fees. At Fort Hare, it is 90%."
Nzimande ended his report by saying "I want to acknowledge the difficulties that this period poses for parents who are bewildered when they consider what is taking place in institutions. Please, continue to support and place faith in these institutions in order to resolve the problems we face and there is no other alternative than dialogue".
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