Question NW2609 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
04 October 2023 - NW2609
Komane, Ms RN to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(a) As at the latest specified date, to which institutions did the National Student Financial Aid Scheme deploy teams in order to assist students to verify themselves so that they may receive funds that were placed on hold because of incomplete verification, (b)(i) on what date and (ii) for how long are the specified teams on campuses to assist students and (c) what number of students have been assisted as at the latest specified date in resolving their issue?
Reply:
TVET COLLEGES
a) The direct payment process was introduced at TVET colleges in the last quarter of 2022, with the first payment made in November 2022, although engagements had started in September 2022. The 2023 academic year saw a continuation of this allowance payment method across all 50 TVET colleges.
To fully support the students with this new direct payments process, during the January / February student registration period, the TVET institutional support team, through the NSFAS Servicing Administrators, conducted working visits at their assigned institutions. During this period, the NSFAS team spent a month deployed in the regions, from 16 January 2023 to 17 February 2023. After this period, there has been instances where some colleges have been visited on an ad hoc basis dependent on what issues the college was facing.
b) (i) Most recently the NSFAS Team was deployed to TVET colleges for the purposes of assisting with challenges, including direct payments, from Monday 18 September 2023 to Friday 22 September 2023.
(ii) The teams were at the colleges for a period of a week.
c) Number of students who ultimately successfully completed KYC as a result of this week cannot be specified, as the KYC process takes place on the direct payment partner platform.
UNIVERSITIES
a) Preparing for the direct payments made for July 2023 allowances, NSFAS initiated a comprehensive process. Initially, NSFAS working with the direct Payment partner began by actively collaborating with institutions and the Student Representative Council (SRC) to define the procedural steps and address any queries or concerns they might have had. Subsequently, during the Month of July and August 2023 NSFAS dispatched resources to these institutions, providing valuable assistance during the onboarding process and offering timely responses to any inquiries that arose.
b) I) Continuing in its commitment to streamline the payment process, NSFAS, in conjunction with its direct payment partners, maintains ongoing engagement with institution management and the SRCs. This proactive approach ensures that any identified issues are promptly addressed. Whenever necessary for NSFAS to visit institution, additional resources are deployed to work closely with institutions, in ensuring that all outstanding matters are effectively resolved by NSFAS and the direct payment partners.
ii) It is not possible to specify the exact number of students who successfully completed the Know Your Customer (KYC) process this week, as the KYC procedure occurs on the direct payment partner's platform.