We, the undersigned, call on universities and education authorities to eliminate application fees for university admission. These fees create a significant financial barrier that prevents many talented and motivated students from disadvantaged backgrounds from even applying to universities.

For many young people, especially those from low-income families, the cost of application fees forces heartbreaking choices between applying to university and meeting basic needs such as food and data for internet access. This limits their opportunities and perpetuates cycles of inequality.

Higher education should be a right, not a privilege. Removing application fees will:

• Increase access to higher education for marginalized and low-income students
• Promote equal opportunities for all young people to pursue their academic dreams
• Support social and economic transformation by empowering youth through education
• We urge universities and government officials to take immediate action and scrap application fees to ensure every student has a fair chance to succeed.

We ask:

• All South African universities to waive application fees for all prospective students
• Government bodies to support policies and funding that enable free university applications