Nzimande: ‘legal action to be taken against dishonest students’

The Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, has ordered the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), a fund that supports students in educational institutions, to arrest parents and students who defrauded the fund.

Nzimande said he wants fund officials to look into student complaints about the money they have to pay when they use the cards.

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How did they catch the wrongly funded students?

“We have instructed NSFAS to arrest those who defrauded the money, applying using fraudulent materials. Some were caught because of cooperation with the tax collection unit which revealed information that the parents of some who wanted support, earned a lot of money which made them not fall under the category of people who should be supported.

“We also want to look into the issue of R12 that students pay if they need to use cards,” said Nzimande.

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Before this, students in different institutions marched and complained that they have to pay a lot of money if they use the cards.
Nzimande said that there are 178 426 complaints related to the loss of funding submitted by students to NSFAS.

Minister Nzimande explained as follows: “Out of the 178 426 appeals to review the decision, 30712 are considered as non-existent. 41 438 were required to submit other information about the applicants’ parents or guardians. “20 908 of them are waiting for the right documents because the wrong ones were delivered. 20 530 students did not pass, thus they were rejected because in order to continue receiving funding you need to pass your studies.”

ALSO READ: NSFAS rejected 45 927 dishonest students

What to do if you declined by NSFAS?

He said there is a system for students to file complaints if they are declined wrongfully.

NSFAS Board Chairman Ernest Khoza, said that they will not be able to support students who have been deprived of funding because they were funded improperly.

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He said they are working with different agencies to ensure that they support the right applicants.

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