Students at the University of South Africa (UNISA) deserve equal treatment as it relates to allowances allocated by the National Financial Student Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

 

As it currently stands, majority of NSFAS-funded students at the university do not receive a cent with the exception of R600 per module for learning materials, or R5200 provided five or more modules are registered.

 

The minority of students who do receive a monthly stipend are paid a disgusting R290 per month. To make matters worse, the prerequisite to receive this R290 per month is that the maximum number of modules (TEN) be registered.

 

In addition, unemployed NSFAS beneficiaries do not qualify for the Social Distress Relief (SDR) grant.

 

While we acknowledge the differences between a contact university and a distance university, we must note the digital transformation that many contact universities have adopted following the COVID-19 pandemic — universities that continue to fundstudents at a much more acceptable fee.

 

The aforementioned is just one of many reasons that combined with the workload of a student enrolled at ANY university, makes it not only acceptable, but also fair that decent allowances be allocated to UNISA Students.

 

We are therefore demanding the following:

 

- The prerequisite of TEN modules rule be scrapped in order for students to receive the incidental allowance.

 

- The monthly allowance paid to a NSFAS-funded student at UNISA be at least R1,000/pm.

 

• That the allowance paid to UNISA students who are approved NSFAS beneficiaries be based on a formula, one which is sensical and incorporates a balance test.