The Student Forum has criticized Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s revised budget, arguing that it fails to address the financial barriers preventing thousands of students from accessing quality higher education.
Delivering his budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday (12 March), Godongwana outlined the government’s financial plans, but student representatives say the budget falls short of providing real solutions to the sector’s ongoing funding crisis.
Forum spokesperson Nhongo Solo highlighted that many students struggle to afford tuition, accommodation, and essential learning resources, leading to high dropout rates and limiting their future economic opportunities.
“Instead of addressing these urgent challenges, the budget fails to increase direct funding for struggling institutions or introduce innovative solutions to fix the dysfunctional NSFAS, which remains crippled by mismanagement,” said Solo.
“The minister speaks of public-private partnerships, yet no concrete steps have been taken to mobilize these partnerships for student funding.”
Higher Education Budget Breakdown
The 2025/26 budget allocates the following to higher education:
R55.4 billion for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)
R48.4 billion for university transfers
R27.9 billion for skills development levy institutions
R21.6 billion for education administration
R14.2 billion for technical and vocational education and training (TVET)
The Department of Higher Education and Training has also introduced a pilot funding model aimed at supporting the “missing middle”—students from families earning between R350,000 and R600,000 annually.
Unlike NSFAS bursaries, this funding will be offered as a loan rather than a grant. The loans will be managed under a newly established National Scheme Fund.
However, many remain skeptical about the new loan system, fearing it will burden graduates with even greater financial pressure in the long run.
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