SCOPA hears from NSFAS how students still battle with accommodation
NSFAS also acknowledged that its call centre is in disarray with tens of thousands of appeals by students trying to access funding.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme briefs the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on developments related to the performance, annual reports and investigations conducted by the Special Investigating Unit. Picture: x.com/ParliamentofRSA
CAPE TOWN - The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says student accommodation is still a major headache with over 2,000 students not receiving allowances.
NSFAS also acknowledged that its call centre is in disarray with tens of thousands of appeals by students trying to access funding.
The entity was briefing Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on Tuesday, on its annual report and performance.
The student funding agency was back in Parliament to account to SCOPA after failing to meet on previous occasions.
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The financial aid scheme told members of Parliament (MPs) that many of the issues reported by students persist - including accommodation.
NSFAS administrator Freeman Nomvalo said non-payment is affecting thousands of students.
"In this past weekend in one province, there were about 2,000 students for instance whose accommodation was not paid for," said Nomvalo.
He said the problem is with their “solution partners” who pay for accommodation on behalf of the institution.
"When pay-through solution partners we are blindsided on who is paid at the end. And in this instance, those 2,000, the money was paid to the solution provider but the solution provider did not pay the institution."
He said they will have to devise a new system that will work better to avoid further delays.