The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has announced that students whose statuses were “pending decisions” have now been assessed and the outcome is reflected on their profile on the NSFAS portal.
THE NATIONAL Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has announced that students whose statuses were “pending decisions” have now been assessed, and the outcome is reflected on their profile on the NSFAS portal.
NSFAS said that students who were funded will be reflected on the funding list, while those who were rejected could lodge appeals with the correct supporting documentation.
“It should be noted that if the appeal option button is not available on the student’s profile, it means that the application has been declined and closed due to reasons that cannot be appealed. The updated funding list as of June 15, 2023, is available on the NSFAS portal for institutions to view,” said NSFAS.
This comes amid complaints by NSFAS beneficiaries that their status had been changed from approved to rejected.
“NSFAS does not necessarily and conclusively frame it as defunding, but as a data integrity review process and its impact on the student financial assistance quality assurance value chain,” it said.
NSFAS said that as much as management appreciated “the sensitivity and moral considerations of funding poor and destitute families, the adverse but correct outcomes of stringent application of NSFAS information vetting protocols would, naturally, result in unintended and adverse results against funds approved and advanced to students based on either fraudulent, misleading, or contradictory supporting documentation”.
“NSFAS, therefore, has a fiduciary obligation to reconsider the circumstances under which such funds have been disbursed and, where applicable, withdraw and redirect such funds to legitimate and compliant applicants,” added the scheme.
Meanwhile, the DA’s Chantel King has written to the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, and to the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA) seeking clarity on the NSFAS direct payment debacle.
King said that NSFAS beneficiaries would now be required to use one of four service providers – Coinvest Africa, Tenet Technology, Ezaga Holdings, or Norraco Corporation – to access their funds via the new NSFAS Mastercard.
She said that on numerous occasions, NSFAS CEO Andile Ngogo was questioned about the application requirements for financial institutions to offer direct payment services.
“Why were Coinvest Africa, Tenet Technology, Ezaga Holdings, and Norraco Corporation preferred above established banks, and will their service and transaction costs benefit students?
“Minister Nzimande will now have to give an account and prove that students will benefit more from the services from these financial organisations.
“We hope BASA can give clarity on the cost structure of well-established banks and whether Coinvest Africa, Tenet Technology, Ezaga Holdings, and Norraco Corporation are accredited financial service providers,” added King.
Kings also called on Nzimande to account for the findings of an Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) investigative report on NSFAS
“Students and universities were kept in the dark about the direct payment system and its cost implications. On top of that, NSFAS beneficiaries are also still waiting on their allowances while service fees have already been deducted. And a lot of students are still waiting on funding and appeal outcomes.”
“NSFAS funding is a way for students from poor and working-class families to have financial means to access higher education,” said King.
