Dozens of University of the Free State students in QwaQwa campus were left stranded after the institution issued a notice instructing them to vacate the student residences, as they couldn’t settle their debts due to the financial crisis with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas).
Many students who are wrongful affected by ‘N+’ rule, are those in their final year of studies, currently in the extended program.
To what is supposed to be their ‘N+1’, the governmental student financial aid scheme’s portal states that they have exceeded the ‘N+ rule’.
Concerned students told Kasi Voice News, that they have made strives and numerous efforts to ask for speedy intervention from Student Representative Council (SRC), but it only appears as if the SRC is in bed with the university management.
Students were advised by the SRC to appeal to the NSFAS but they are rejected with no valid reasons.
Out in the cold with nowhere to go, many students are facing dire straits such as money for transport , food and for some they have been evicted from their residences for failing to settle their rental fees.
This hassle has lead to some students not attending classes, having fears that they will be deregistered on March 31 since most of them registered provisional with R2 300.
Students expressed with different opinions, stating this burden is unbearable.
“Yoh mentally it’s depressing , how can I focus on my school work knowing I am not funded. Our rent has increased this year and we are forced to pay and stay because we are having face to face classes,” said one of the students.
“I live for days without food, I am forced to attend classes with hunger,” says another student.
I have to walk to the school everyday in unsafe bushes just because we are not funded, we are wrongfully affected for that matter,” she further said.
Another student says: “It affects me negatively, I have classes everyday and I even have excursions on Saturdays.”
Sometimes my days are so long where I’d have class from 8am till 5pm, it’s hard to get transport money so sometimes one has to walk and the weather is just not favourable.
At this point I feel the need to attend counseling because the pressure is too much to handle,” says a student.
Students are still protesting, calling for the Nsfas to pay out their outstanding debts.
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