JOHANNESBURG - Thousands of students at institutions like UNISA are hitting a wall of frustration over persistent payment backlogs at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
Higher Education Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim said he is pushing for systemic updates to clear the funding delays.
Cassim said government is working to reshape the scheme into an efficient sector that actually works for everyone.
"When I announced my oversight visit to UNICEF, on my Facebook profile, more than 400 students responded, sharing their frustrations, experiences and daily challenges," Cassim said.
"But in general, there have been thousands and thousands of students that have come out with issues and their cries that have not been heard. And it is our intention to build the correct systems and to apply the correct pressure and to fight as hard as I can, as a deputy minister, to try and ensure that those cries do not fall on deaf ears. And therefore, the philosophy is that we want to build a responsive post-school education and training sector that works for South Africans."