“This is evident in the exorbitant fees that are being charged by these companies; ranging from decline fee, lost cards, SMS notification fees, card replacement fee, card delivery fee …”
The new system will see NSFAS make direct payments into bank accounts using independent service providers instead of doing it through the higher learning institutions.
“DUT students took to the streets to show they are not happy with the system that NSFAS wants to introduce and they will fight against this thing until our voices can be heard,” said EFFSC DUT chairperson Siyanda Mpontshane.
Mpontshane said one of their biggest issues with the new system is the lack of clarity regarding accountability when issues “inevitably” arise.
He said the old system where the university bore responsibility for distributing funds had its issues but was better because it was easy to get the institution to account and resolve any grievances students had.
“If the university, NSFAS and the department of higher education continues to enforce this thing we will have no choice but to render the institution ungovernable until they listen to our demands because you can’t enforce this system without consulting students as to how they feel about it,” he said.
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