NSFAS says there is an ‘accelerated processing of student allowances’

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says there an "accelerated processing of student allowances" as it set the record straight on a Wits University statement that claimed most beneficiaries were yet to be paid by the scheme.

On Sunday the student financial aid scheme said: "The speed and comprehensive release of funding depends in part on relevant and applicable student registration data being timeously availed to the organisation.

"We note a statement from Wits University asserting that more 8,000 of the 9,950 students had not been paid their allowances on July 14 2023. Our figures are that 7,684 student allowances were paid on [that date] in addition to the cohort paid during the end of June payment run. There is a number of NSFAS beneficiaries whose payments are outstanding, which cases will be examined and where appropriate corrected as soon as possible."

The aid scheme said it would continue liaising with tertiary institutions "to ensure that whatever obstacles exist are addressed".

"There is accelerated work to ensure universal coverage and disbursements to already approved beneficiaries due to receive funding."

"We further wish to inform members of the public and our stakeholder network that there are overlapping and interdependent change management processes underway within NSFAS, including and aimed primarily at the deployment of automated technological solutions to serve students on time and at scale."

"We therefore wish to caution and advise the public not to be disheartened by and  impatient with teething problems that might arise in isolated incidents from time to time as the re-engineering of the overall architecture of our systems is on track and receiving our outmost focus and care."

The NSFAS has come under fire recently over the introduction of a new direct payment system called “eZaga”.

The new system will see the NSFAS make direct payments into bank accounts using independent service providers instead of doing it through higher learning institutions.

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