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Wits adamant it won’t accept new applications for 2018 enrollment

Wits University is sticking by their stance on further applications for the 2018 academic year. The Free education bombshell by Zuma is still causing chaos.

NSFAS

wikimedia.org

The University of Witwatersrand (Wits) has again emphasised that it will not be accepting any further applications for the 2018 academic year.

In a statement on Thursday, Wits spokesperson Schalk Mounton confirmed that the “free education” announcement will not shift their plans for intakes.

“Wits University has finalised its applications for the 2018 academic year, and will not be accepting any further applications for the first semester intake,” Wits spokesperson Schalk Mouton said in a statement.

“The closing date for undergraduate studies at the University was the 30 September 2017.”

With Wits receiving 56 901 first-year applications for the 2018 year, tens of thousands are turned away as the university only has space for 5 664 first years.

“The University is currently growing its post-graduate student numbers, as part of its 2022 strategy and has received 22 727 applications for post-graduate studies. In total, the University has received 79 628 applications for the 2018 academic year,” he said.

The statement stressed that Wits only has the capacity to enrol 36 400 full-time students.

“Wits University has doubled its student numbers in the last two decades, and the University’s enrolment plan is approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training,” said Wits Registrar Carol Crosley.”

“Over enrolment has a significant impact on the academic integrity of the University’s academic programme. It stretches the University’s human resources capacity (affecting work loads of lecturers, teaching and administrative staff); and impacts on infrastructure as the University only has a defined number of teaching venues.”

While Wits and almost every other local university have taken this stance, the Economic Freedom Fighters have vowed to take to the streets to get new applications in.

The EFF Student Command has launched a new campaign calling for students “to study by force”. The party said it will help potential students with walk-in applications.

“We encourage walk-ins because the online system has problems and takes a long time and has irregularities.”