Normalize paying back NSFAS!
“Pay back the money” a quote that has become a norm in the South African politics and in some instances government. Many successful individuals previously from disadvantaged backgrounds are as a result of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). It is unfortunate that at the start of each academic year institution of higher education have to bear the brunt of becoming what looks like military war fares. Yes, these Universities should also be blamed for how they handle these issues regarding to student funding but previous beneficiaries should also be pointed fingers at too for their non-payment to the scheme too. Rampant government corruption and incapacity to ensure the laws are implemented is also something to cry over.
By doing a quick introspect, have you paid your dues to society? Remember those long ques and forms you had to fill just so funding can be allocated to you? Well another child is going through that process and this time you are now part of the problem, you are holding them back! Student grant was made to school one to school the other after and so forth. A full circle if you may call it that, yet the we the generation that never “paid back the money”.
If only 10% of employed graduates who were beneficiaries of the scheme paid back their dues, a huge impact would be made in this regard. I believe those payments as per the agreement made when you received the grant was paid on time, NSFAS would be able to fund students. The scheme as it stands today is struggling to augment the funding requirements as per the growing number of applications. “Do not throw stones if you live in a glass house”, this a phrase we should all remember – simply put we before we fight to fix the system, let us fix ourselves first.
We are part of the problem, the reason why our nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters cannot and or are struggling to afford to study at this institutions of higher learning. We are part of the problem. Pay back the money. Pay back NSFAS.
Lesego Koloane is a certified voluntary councilor, moreover, she is a testing and peer councilor.
Paying back is a burden to our children. They are starting life with debt. Education is a necessity and should be free. Capitalistic ideas of paying for education should be scrubbed. If I’m educated and get a well paying job, I pay huge tax and that it should be the way to pay back the money.