Question NW2835 to the Minister of Higher Education and Training
02 November 2018 - NW2835
Bozzoli, Prof B to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(a) What number of the students who were awarded funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for the 2018 academic year had not received their funding as at 20 September 2018 and (b) for what number of the specified students was funding (i) not yet paid to the institution due to (aa) a lack of registration data that must be received by NSFAS and (bb) the student not having signed a bursary agreement despite registration data having been received by NSFAS, (ii) paid to the institution, but not allocated to a student due to a lack of remittances sent with the payment to the institution and (iii) (aa) not yet received by the student for other reason(s) and (bb) what is the number of affected students in respect of each other reason?
Reply:
(a) A student only becomes eligible for funding once they have been approved as financially eligible by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and is academically eligible through the confirmation of registration by the relevant institution. As of 12 October 2018, 3 242 students, who had been confirmed as eligible for funding and signed their agreements, was being processed for payment.
(b) (i) (aa) The NSFAS system automatically generates a link for a student to sign their NSFAS Bursary Agreement once their registration data has been successfully matched to NSFAS data. NSFAS was waiting for registration data from institutions for 9 194 students who are financially eligible.
(bb) 48 104 Contracts issued to students remain unsigned.
(ii) Since 1 September 2018, payments to institutions were sent with remittance information. Reconciliations for earlier upfront payments are still in progress.
(iii) None.