Vaal University of Technology current students are pleading with the National Student Financial Aid (NSFAS) and the Department of Higher Education and Training to be quick in taking a decision to fund some post-graduate qualifications as NSFAS stopped funding them at the beginning of 2021 academic year. We are now demanding that NSFAS and DHET provide financial support to them again and reverse their decision not to fund postgraduate qualifications.

As Vaal University students in general we are appealing with NSFAS to regurgitate its decision not to fund postgraduate qualifications. We entreat NSFAS and Department of Higher Education and Training to start funding students pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and others in demand. Diploma students and all other students from the different universities of technology, it should be compulsory for them to be funded in order for them to level up their diploma qualifications to degrees by doing NSFAS funded postgraduate advanced certificates.

Both NSFAS, as a government bursary which is available to underprivileged South African students who are looking to study at a public universities and the DHET should reconsider their decision and refund postgraduate students. Because it is totally unfair for university of technology students to be left listless and noncompetitive in this country's competitive job market. Any student holding a diploma should, automatically, be eligible for postgraduate qualification. Since many students did not intend to do diploma qualifications but their university admission endorsements forced them to register for a diploma. Therefore, those who wish to further their qualifications to degrees should be funded to do so. 

We feel that both the post-graduates and universities have not addressed the financial struggles which these students are facing and it continues to fuel students anger. As Vaal University students together with all the South African graduate students are calling for the reversal of the decision by NSFAS to stop funding PGCE and other qualifications that students demand.

We are starting this petition because we are half way to complete our studies and the final year students who are willing to further their studies are already at risk of not being funded in the academic year 2022 since the DHET and NSFAS have not yet taken a firm final decision to fund postgraduate qualifications again. 

We are now concerned because many university students around the country have continuously tried to engage on this matter with their universities, DHET and NSFAS directly. But all their efforts were wild-goose-chase. We are likely to be trapped too in this abyss of unfunded postgraduate qualifications. 

We would like to make the following demands: 

1. Any student in the position of a diploma qualification should, automatically, be eligible for NSFAS funded postgraduate qualification.

2. Any student from any university of technology with a diploma qualification should be given a chance to level up their diploma qualifications to degrees if they feel to do so.

3. PGCE/PGHE and other qualification demanded by students should be funded by NSFAS just like undergraduate qualifications.

4. Reversal of the decision taken by NSFAS/DHET to stop funding PGCE/PGHE students and that all on demand postgraduate qualifications should be funded by 2022 academic year again.

We are appealing to NSFAS together with the DHET to find funds for PGCE, Postgraduate Diploma of Accountancy (PGDA) and Advanced Diploma students.