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Memorandum from the Parliamentary Office
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 279
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 01/03/2013
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 4 OF 2013)
Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:
1) Whether fee-free post-school education will be implemented in 2014; if
so, from which line item of the budget will this funding be drawn
2) Will it be applicable to all students at all levels?
NW354E
REPLY:
1. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is committed to
and has been advancing the progressive realisation of fee-free education.
The following response outlines the work of DHET to date, drawing on
Further Education and Training (FET) and university sectors:
⢠The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is governmentâs key
mechanism for assisting poor students to access programmes of study in
the post-school education and training system. In 1999, NSFAS was
responsible for disbursing R441 million of financial aid to students
and today it is responsible for over R8 billion in financial support
to students with most of the funding provided by government. The
budget from the Department for 2013/14 amounts to R5.769 billion,
R3.693 billion for universities and R1.988 billion for FET collegesâ
bursaries. Other notable donor allocations include funds from Funza
Lushaka (Department of Basic Education), the National Skills Fund and
Department of Social Development. In addition, a number of Sector
Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) are providing student
financial aid at universities and FET Colleges.
Further Education and Training Sector
⢠The national norms and standards for the funding of FET colleges
(funding norms) sets out the policy and planning framework for the
funding of FET colleges and it is on this basis that the DHET is
progressively moving towards realising the goal of fee-free education
and training.
⢠DHET determines the cost of all Ministerially-approved programmes of
study offered at FET colleges. Once determined, 80% of the total
programme cost is funded by DHET for each student registered in the
approved programmes. The remaining 20% of the programme cost is then
recovered from the student as college tuition fees.
⢠Based on an understanding that this 20% fee portion might still be
prohibitive for some students, the funding norms have made provision
for the establishment of a bursary scheme, i.e. the DHET FET College
Bursary Scheme. As stipulated in the funding norms, through the
Bursary Scheme, it has been possible to ensure that students with
financial need and who meet academic merit requirements, demonstrated
or expected capacity to progress academically, are not denied access
to education and training opportunities in FET colleges. This Bursary
Scheme is administered by NSFAS.
⢠Thus, having already funded 80% of the programme cost of study for all
students registered in FET colleges, DHET further provides funding to
the value of the remaining 20% to eligible students. It is this cohort
of students, who further benefit through the NSFAS administered
bursary, that are the beneficiaries of fee-free education.
⢠This has been guided by the following principles:
- demonstrated financial need of FET college students;
- academic merit of such students, i.e. students who are passing and
progressing to their next level of study;
- registration of beneficiaries in the programmes of study approved by
the Minister in the National Certificate (Vocational) or Report 191
programmes); and
- available resources as determined by the budget allocation for each
academic year.
⢠Over and above college fees, the FET College Bursary Scheme covers
accommodation as well as a travel allowance which is intended to
promote and facilitate student attendance. It must be noted that the
FET College Bursary Scheme provides full bursaries, and as such
bursary recipients of this funding are not required to pay back the
funding that they have benefitted from upon completion of their
studies.
⢠Since its inception in 2007, the FET College Bursary Scheme has grown
from R100 million to R1.988 billion in 2013. These funds
together with university student bursary funding are drawn from the
NSFAS line item of the budget.
University Sector
⢠Subsidies that are provided to universities in the form of block and
earmarked grants are part of governmentâs commitment to realising fee-
free post-school.
⢠The final year programme which was introduced in 2011 provides full
cost of study to all final year university students that are eligible.
It converts their NSFAS loans to full bursaries if they scucecssfully
complete their studies and graduate within the same year.
⢠Similarly, over and above university fees, the financial aid offered
to students covers accommodation as well as a travel allowance which
is intended to promote and facilitate student attendance.
2. As such, not all students registered in FET colleges have been
beneficiaries of fee-free education, but only those who meet the criteria
as set out in the DHETâs FET Colleges Bursary Scheme guideline document.
Compiler/contact persons: Ms L Mokwena and Mr S Makgoba
Ext: 5470 and 5482
DIRECTOR â GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
REPLY TO QUESTION 279 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr B NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE: