The growing number of students being forced into alternative educational pathways after matriculation because of tertiary institutions’ limited space has alarmed the ANC Youth League (ANCYL).
The league believes that while options such as technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, vocational training, and internships play a vital role, the existing support for these alternatives is insufficient.
Siviwe Gwarube, the Minister of Basic Education, announced on Tuesday that 615 429 learners passed their 2024 matriculation exams.
Speaking to Sunday World on Friday, ANCYL spokesperson Zama Khanyase acknowledged the capacity limitations in tertiary institutions, which prevent the enrolment of all learners who pass their grade 12.
She said the issue stems from longstanding underinvestment in the expansion of tertiary education infrastructure.
Khanyase said to prevent these challenges, more universities and TVET colleges should be constructed, particularly in rural and underserved provinces.
She also advocated for increased funding to develop infrastructure and expand capacity in current institutions.
Free higher education
Khanyase also highlighted that the government should fully implement free higher education for learners from poor families, enhance transport subsidies, and introduce mentorship programmes to support disadvantaged students during the application and transition phases.
She said these were some of the numerous challenges that students from underprivileged backgrounds encounter.
This includes, among others, financial difficulties, lack of career guidance, and restricted access to resources.
“The government must prioritise higher education as a pillar of national development,” Khanyase said.
“This includes increasing the budget allocation for education, incentivising private-public partnerships to develop new institutions, and repurposing underutilised infrastructure to create more learning spaces.”
Khanyase added: “The ANCYL demands that the government fully implement free higher education for the poor and working class.
“The National Student Financial Aid Scheme [NSFAS] must be adequately funded, and its administrative processes must be streamlined to avoid delays and inefficiencies.
“The introduction of a graduate tax for high-income earners who have benefitted from state-funded education could also be explored as a means of funding.”
She added that the digital education platforms should also be leveraged to expand access to higher education.
Close to a million applications received
Ishmael Mnisi, the NSFAS spokesperson, confirmed to Sunday World that the scheme has received 951 981 applications for the 2025 academic year.
However, by Friday, 699 758 applicants had been provisionally approved for funding pending the submission of their registration data.
He said regarding the distribution of allowances, NSFAS requires valid registration data from universities and TVET colleges for students who meet the financial eligibility criteria before disbursing funds.
On January 10, the financial aid scheme made an upfront payment to universities to assist students during registration.
Mnisi said this payment will include allowances for Health and Sciences and Work Integrated Learning students for this academic year.
“It is important to note that the allowance payment channel for TVET college students is their own bank accounts,” said Mnisi.
“In this regard, we encourage new NSFAS-qualifying students to open a bank account at any of the South African banking institutions.
“On the other hand, the channel to pay allowances to university students is through their institutions; NSFAS pays direct to institutions to pay students.”
