Belhar students’ fee battle

NSFAS offers loans to students who cannot afford to pay fees, through an educational institution. Students must have a household income of not more than R122,000 a year to qualify for a bursary and must also show academic ability.

Nommiselo Ngenelwa, an N3 electrical engineering student, said that in August she and fellow students had received letters from the Northlink College financial office warning that they would not be allowed into the exam if they had not settled outstanding fees by 15 October, in line with college rules.

She said NSFAS had not paid up, though she had signed an agreement with the scheme. She had paid what she could, she said, but had been told by the college she would not be able to sit the exam.

Andiswa Ndakisa, who is also doing N3 in electrical engineering, did not register this trimester because of outstanding fees she could not settle.

“I dropped out of college because I could not pay my fees last trimester since the bursary did not cover it.”

She said she did not understand because she had signed the agreement with NSFAS in May.

Andisiwe Rautini said her fees had also not been paid. She said trimester students had to apply for the bursary every trimester and this was not the first time this had happened to her.

Student agreements with NSFAS are signed at the college and forwarded to the scheme. Students do not get copies.

NSFAS Chief Information Officer Xolisa Peter said Ndakisa and Ngenelwa’s claims had been received in July and were in the queue to be paid, and Rautini’s claim had not been received yet.

But Northlink’s communication officer Ivan Swart said Rautini’s form had been sent to NSFAS in July.

Meanwhile, the students are worried that administrative delays may prevent them from writing their exams.