Luzuko Nceba Ntshongwana Gcobisa Vuyisa Magalela Lufefe Amilcar Mkutu Luks #TBF #SRC NSFAS REPORT 2014 Fellow Students On the 21st of January 2014 the SRC delegated 4 SRC members to NSFAS offices in Cape Town. Purpose of delegation was to meet NSFAS CEO and CFO in order to sharply raise concerns of NMMU students about the new centralised NSFAS system and its operation. We also intended to explore and understand how the system works and equally put pressure on NSFAS staff to release results of first years’ applications. Members of the delegation: Luzuko Ntshongwana (SRC President) Lufefe Mkutu (SRC Deputy President) Sitha Gqomfa (SRC Treasurer) Gcobisa Magalela (SRC Executive Committee Member) We clearly stated our dissatisfaction with the new system. The resolutions that we had: NMMU SRC was unhappy with the slow pace of processing NSFAS application forms. We are dissatisfied with the manner in which the pilot project was introduced. The S BUX system (new intellicard system) should be explained properly through inductions. We shall reject any form of both academic and financial exclusion. Meeting with NSFAS CFO and CFO. The meeting took place at Steve Biko building on the 23rd of January 2014. It was convened by NMMU SRC and present in the meeting were UCT SRC and NSFAS delegation as led by the CEO (Mr Daca). NMMU made a presentation on the following issues: •Post Graduate Funding (B Tech included) •Appeals Committee •First years’ application process •S BUX system and •Other general issues The following information was provided by CEO: B Tech: Philosophically B. Tech students do not receive funding from NSFAS. Budget: NSFAS works with R8.5 billion currently. Funding criteria: 79% for returning students, 15% for first time applicants, 5% for non-NSFAS returning students, and 1% for appeals. Only R60 million is set aside for post graduate funding for the entire country - specifically M Tech and Honours. Each student receives not more than R64 thousands a year. Appeals: there is an appeals committee at NSFAS. Resolutions: B Tech students’ situation of NMMU must be treated as a special case. The ones that have already applied ought to be maintained. SRC must produce a document on post graduate funding and make formal proposal by Monday. On principle we agree B Tech students of NMMU should be funded for a certain number of years that will be agreed upon by both NSFAS and NMMU. SRC will also propose increase of NSFAS NMMU post graduate funding. NMMU must form its own appeals committee that will receive and process appeals and submit all successful appeals to NSFAS for funding. Appeals should not disadvantage directly qualifying students. All academic appeals will be handled by the university. Students that do not appear on the list have a right to appeal. All first years should know their status by Monday (27th January 2014). NMMU SRC shall assist NSFAS in making the technological application process easy for first years coming from rural and township areas in particular. NSFAS must improve its administrative capacity. Discussion on NSFAS funding criteria is not closed. NSFAS will conduct inductions on sBUX system to all NSFAS students. NOTE: There is no final decision as yet as to whether B Tech students will receive funding. We only agreed on principle that they should be funded. A final decision will be made after SRC has produced the document on Monday. The intention of the SRC is to ensure that these students are not excluded and we will succeed.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 07:47:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015