No extra money has been budgeted for universities to fund higher education minister Blade Nzimande’s undertaking that student fees rises will be pegged at 6% next year.

Finance minister Nhanhla Nene told the parliamentary press corps that he had briefly met with Nzimande‚ and that an intergovernmental task team would be established to find a sustainable solution to education funding.

Nzimande gave the 6% undertaking on Tuesday after meeting with vice-chancellors‚ chairs of university councils and student leaders in Cape Town.

The agreement is‚ however‚ not binding as every university is autonomous and has its fees set by its council‚ and students at every university will be free to accept or reject Nzimande’s proposal.

Nene said the offer was a response to immediate challenges so that universities could reopen and finish exams‚ but that the government would continue to grapple with ways to stabilise the situation because‚ in effect‚ the challenges remain.

Dondo Mogajane‚ deputy director-general: public finance in the national treasury‚ confirmed that no additional funding had been made available to the department of higher education.

He said there was little room for manoeuvre due to the state’s expenditure ceiling.

“We will have to see whether we can make the system more efficient and we will have to work with the department of higher education to see what is possible.

“Students who benefited from the National Students’ Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) would be encouraged to pay back their loans‚” Mogajane concluded.