The government and public universities will be putting up R2.3 billion next year to help cover the funding shortfall that resulted from the 0% fee increase for the academic year during the #FeesMustFall protests.

A task team set up by President Jacob Zuma after the protests has submitted the results of its investigation into the short-term student funding challenges at universities and ways to mitigate the chances of more student protest.

The R2.3 billion contribution was decided after it was put forward as a short-term recommendation by the task team. The #FeesMustFall task team also made recommendations to meet the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding shortfall of R4.5 billion.

The report recommends that R2.5 billion of this amount be made available from the fiscus, in the form of loans to provide short-term debt relief to 71 753 students who were under funded or weren’t granted financial aid over the 2013 – 2015 academic years.

“The further R2.039 billion is required in the 2016/17 financial year to ensure that currently unfunded continuing students receive NSFAS support in the 2016 academic year. This amount will also be made available through reprioritisation from the fiscus,” the Office of the Presidency said in a statement.

Last month, Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, made a controversial announcement that his department would be reallocating R1.9 billion from a number of initiatives, towards government’s university funding.

After receiving the task team’s report, President Zuma said he would announce members of a commission set up to to examine the introduction of free higher education for the poor and working class.

[Source – SA Government News Agency, image – CC by Ian Barbour]