The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has announced that it will investigate all accommodation providers who have submitted incorrect information in an attempt to unlawfully benefit from funds intended for legitimate NSFAS-funded students.
This comes as the scheme has identified ghost students, who are neither funded by NSFAS nor enrolled in any public university or college.
NSFAS spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, emphasized the importance of maintaining a rigorous verification process to ensure that all claims are legitimate and align with established policies.
“It is equally important to maintain a rigorous verification process to guarantee that all claims are legitimate and in accordance with established policies,” Mnisi stated.
“We appreciate the challenges faced by accommodation providers and strive to balance the needs of both students and accommodation providers while upholding compliance requirements in the disbursement of public funds, ensuring public accountability.”
Meanwhile, NSFAS has acknowledged that payment delays have been a persistent issue and is actively working to streamline its payment processes.
“Recognizing that payment delays have been a persistent challenge, NSFAS is actively working to streamline payment processes. We are reviewing our claims verification and payment procedures to identify opportunities for improvement,” Mnisi said.
The bursary scheme has also urged landlords to adhere to submission deadlines and follow the agreed-upon processes to minimize errors in the data submitted for payment.
“We urge landlords not to evict students as we continue working towards the payment of all outstanding claims.”
NSFAS has set a deadline of Friday, 4 April 2025 to pay student accommodation providers.
“We are committed to resolving all legitimate claims,” Mnisi reassured.
VOC News
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