Chairperson of Parliament’s Higher Education Portfolio Committee, Tebogo Letsie, has issued a stern call for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to urgently resolve ongoing payment delays to student accommodation providers, some of which date back to 2023.
Speaking during an oversight update by Parliament’s Social Services Cluster, Letsie condemned NSFAS’s slow response to appeals and failure to pay legitimate service providers, warning that the delays are threatening student access to higher education.
“NSFAS can’t subject our students to poverty, unemployment and inequality, which the government is trying to eradicate,” he said.
“We are extremely worried about the operations at NSFAS because of all these matters falling under that particular department.”
Letsie stressed that no student should be excluded due to administrative failures, particularly when it comes to something as basic as accommodation.
To address the mounting frustration among service providers, NSFAS is expected to roll out a new booking system that will allow accommodation providers to schedule individual sessions with NSFAS teams during provincial visits.
“We remain resolute that no student should be left behind. NSFAS must improve its payment systems to ensure all legitimate private accommodation providers are paid on time,” Letsie added.
VOC News
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