REFILWE MEKOA
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is in talks of implementing a system where students will not refund them if they pass their studies well.
The Department of Higher Education spokesperson Manana Makhaya says they work together with NSFAS to help struggling young people receive tertiary education. “The characteristics of a tertiary education make it costly and it is not as straight forward as basic education. Minister Blade Nzimande appointed people last year to examine and advise him on the free tertiary education matter,” she says.
Makhaya says free education still remains a possibility. “The minister recognises the need to develop a systematic approach to implement a policy that will progressively implement free tertiary education. One can ask how do we define poor and how do we define the word free. So until those issues are ironed out we can be sure of free education for all,” she says.
Makhaya confirmed that they received a memorandum from South African Student Congress (SASCO) on Thursday in Pretoria requesting free tertiary education.
