Question NW859 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
18 April 2023 - NW859
Chirwa, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
With reference to his reply to question 146 on 28 February 2023, wherein he stated that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) would undergo a process of engaging with accommodation providers to consider accommodating students funded by NSFAS with the R45 000 cap, (a)(i) which accommodation providers has (aa) NSFAS and/or (bb) he and/or his department engaged to date and (ii) what are the outcomes of such engagements, (b) what happens in cases where the specified recommendations by his department to accommodation providers are not adopted across the board and (c) who will carry the shortfall of the affected students?
Reply:
a) (i) (aa) NSFAS embarked on hosting workshops with accommodation providers in all nine provinces. The aim of these workshops was to clarify the accommodation cap and encourage accommodation providers to register their properties on the NSFAS accommodation portal to accredit the properties and subsequently place students.
(ii) The sessions culminated in accommodation providers submitting applications for 48 375 beds. To date 13 030 have been accredited.
b) Input has been received for consideration (non-adoption to recommendations), however, this does not mean concurrence.
c) There should not be a shortfall as NSFAS has emphasized that students must be placed in student accommodation that is within the R45 000 cap.