Students from universities in Gauteng have expressed mixed views to a draft proposal by students funding body stating that beneficiaries will need a 75% pass of their modules in order to continue to receive support in their studies.

In its proposal released to student formations for consultation this week, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) stated that a minimum of 75% course pass rate must be achieved by all continuing students who are not first-time entering students in 2022.

The proposal has divided opinion, with some hailing it as progressive while others have claimed that it will close the door to many young black students struggling to get first degrees.

Some students who spoke to Sowetan on Thursday expressed deep frustrations with the proposal, saying the current requirement for passing 50% of the modules enrolled for was sufficient.

Sifiso Ngcobo, a final year bachelor of chemical engineering student at Wits University

said there are a lot of physical and financial challenges that prevent students from performing well in their studies.

“I disagree with the proposal. A lot of students come from different backgrounds and go through a lot of challenges at university. There are students who go to class without eating and they cannot concentrate in class and perform badly academically," he said.

“If you are a financially poor student who gets a R1,500 meal allowance from NSFAS and you have to share it with your family at home, you don’t actually get to buy enough food for yourself. You starve.

“Other students like myself take a lot of time to understand the content of my course because of the high level of technical language, and this leads to not performing well in tests and assignments.” 

Final year bachelor of accounting and computer sciences student at Wits, Mmusi Thema, 23, said the proposal is unfair on historically marginalised students.

“Black students are a historically marginalised group. Access to funding is a problem for them because external funding options are based on academic performance and prefer students from private schools which most black students do not go to. NSFAS should address inequality and assist black students,” said Thema.

“The English mode of learning is also a problem. For most black students English is not their mother tongue. So it takes time for them to understand and grasp the work of their studies."

Aphiwe Vezi, 19, a bachelor of psychology student at Wits, said online learning has become a hindrance on students’ ability to get good grades. “If you are at home it is difficult to study virtually when you do not have a reliable WiFi connection. You end up not attending the virtual lecture and falling behind with the course work,” said Vezi.

Tshepang Matjele, 19, a second-year bachelor of electrical engineering student at the University of Johannesburg, said he supports the 75% pass rate proposal.

“Some students do not put a lot of effort in their studies. They bunk classes and do not pitch for tests. This will be a wake-up call for them,” said Matjele.