UNIVERSITY students who were funded through government loans will soon have to deal with the SA Revenue Service.
Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande has announced that his department was finalising a strategy with Sars to collect from non-paying but working beneficiaries of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Speaking at a meeting with editors on Wednesday night in Rosebank, Johannesburg, Nzimande said: "Students that owe NSFAS used to be on the credit bureaus if they did not pay. Now we are going to get Sars to track them down.
"We are also looking into developing a new loan system for currently non-qualifying families who still cannot afford university fees. To afford NSFAS a student's parents need to have an annual salary of R122000 or less. What happens to the students whose parents earn R123000? They still cannot afford university fees."
He said students owed higher learning institutions R3-billion.
"Between 2000 and 2010, there were 25000 students that could not graduate from universities because they had not paid their fees."
The department had to spend R200-million to settle the debts. "We have allowed universities to do that (to deny owing students from graduating) but we have to look into that," Nzimande said.
As a result of an incorrect method of calculating the interest on NSFAS loans since 1991, students who were over-charged on loans are being refunded.
The average by how much each student was overcharged was R2256. The highest amount refunded so far was R35325 and the lowest amount was R38.
Minister probes fees
THE Department of Higher Education and Training is investigating whether to regulate university fees.
Minister Blade Nzimande has appointed a committee chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate whether fees have to be regulated.
"We are trying to look into whether we should look into the funding models for universities. Some universities are very expensive. To do a degree at UCT (University of Cape Town) costs about R57000, including accommodation. At the WSU (Walter Sisulu University) it costs about R26000," Nzimande said.
The department oversees 23 public universities and universities of technology.
Nzimande said he was reluctant to allow private universities to operate in the country.
"If we allow the universities to enter our country, they will kill our public institutions."
He said private institutions would poach the best academics from local ones. "We cannot afford to do that."
SARS on trail Of defaulters
UNIVERSITY students who were funded through government loans will soon have to deal with the SA Revenue Service.
Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande has announced that his department was finalising a strategy with Sars to collect from non-paying but working beneficiaries of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Speaking at a meeting with editors on Wednesday night in Rosebank, Johannesburg, Nzimande said: "Students that owe NSFAS used to be on the credit bureaus if they did not pay. Now we are going to get Sars to track them down.
"We are also looking into developing a new loan system for currently non-qualifying families who still cannot afford university fees. To afford NSFAS a student's parents need to have an annual salary of R122000 or less. What happens to the students whose parents earn R123000? They still cannot afford university fees."
He said students owed higher learning institutions R3-billion.
"Between 2000 and 2010, there were 25000 students that could not graduate from universities because they had not paid their fees."
The department had to spend R200-million to settle the debts. "We have allowed universities to do that (to deny owing students from graduating) but we have to look into that," Nzimande said.
As a result of an incorrect method of calculating the interest on NSFAS loans since 1991, students who were over-charged on loans are being refunded.
The average by how much each student was overcharged was R2256. The highest amount refunded so far was R35325 and the lowest amount was R38.
Minister probes fees
THE Department of Higher Education and Training is investigating whether to regulate university fees.
Minister Blade Nzimande has appointed a committee chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate whether fees have to be regulated.
"We are trying to look into whether we should look into the funding models for universities. Some universities are very expensive. To do a degree at UCT (University of Cape Town) costs about R57000, including accommodation. At the WSU (Walter Sisulu University) it costs about R26000," Nzimande said.
The department oversees 23 public universities and universities of technology.
Nzimande said he was reluctant to allow private universities to operate in the country.
"If we allow the universities to enter our country, they will kill our public institutions."
He said private institutions would poach the best academics from local ones. "We cannot afford to do that."
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