“We don’t have the number at the moment but in terms of intentional misinformation there are some categories that we have identified that in some cases it is students who are getting information from grandparents or uncles who don’t get enough money and in some cases [university staff] They have some roles to play because they are the ones who submit the list to NSFAS…
The investigator said, “The investigation is under way, we have identified some where we get the application forms to see who signed and who completed the application forms so we can know who did the misleading and we can see the responsibility.”
SA Student Congress (SASCO) President Vezinhlanhla Simelane accused NSFAS of using a blanket approach.
Stop financing and therapeutic procedures Done by NSFAS They were conducted through a comprehensive approach without properly looking at the cases one by one, individually. NSFAS should have looked at cases individually without withdrawing student funding based solely on what the system says.”
Similan said most of the students were wrongfully withdrawn on the grounds that some of the students did not have trusted parents.
“There is a certain student who is an orphan and because of this investigation their funding has been cut off because their identity is linked to their parents and now their funding has been canceled but this is wrong because this student has proof that he grew up in an orphanage, he has all the documents of the social worker to prove it but now he is forbidden from studying and that is why we say They need to do their investigations properly and not just rely on the system.
“They (NSFAS) did not explain to us what process they took nor did they tell us how it became like this. If they communicated with us properly we would understand but at the same time it was not done Proper withdrawal of financing For every person from whom money has been withdrawn, there are some who really need the money.
Acting Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks welcomed NSFAS’ move, saying this would go a long way in preventing the scheme from running out of money.
“NSFAS is short of funds and when this happens it puts parents and students at risk [who qualify for funding] in a difficult position.”
However, Parks warned NSFAS against defunding eligible students.