TVET College students, led by the Economic Freedom Fighters Youth Command, marched to the Department of Higher Education and Training in Pretoria on Monday to protest the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) handling of funding for occupational programme students.
The demonstrators expressed dissatisfaction that students enrolled in these programmes receive funding only for accommodation and tuition, but no living allowance. Many students come from vulnerable backgrounds, with some lacking parental support or having unemployed parents, leaving them reliant on NSFAS for basic needs.
One student highlighted the hardship: “Some of us don’t have parents. Some of us our parents are not working. So we are depending on this NSFAS… They only say they’re going to pay for our accommodation and our tuition. You’re going to pay R4 something for one student but then you can’t provide us with food. What are you expecting us to survive with?”
Protesters warned that without additional support, the majority would be forced to drop out due to inability to afford food, transportation, or essentials. “We are getting demotivated by the fact that we need to go to school hungry. We don’t have money for food. We don’t have money for transportation. We don’t have money for essentials, which it’s a big problem to us as students,” another said.
The group staged a protest outside the department’s offices and handed over a memorandum of grievances and demands. EFF Tshwane Youth Command coordinator Elvis Chiwawa stated that they want NSFAS funding extended to include all students, ensuring living allowances are released to occupational programme students as well.
A departmental representative responded by committing to address the concerns promptly: “We commit to ensure that these issues are responded to as soon as possible.” The official noted that the department had been informed in advance of the march and would work with student leaders to verify and ensure a comprehensive list of affected students. A virtual meeting with NSFAS colleagues was arranged for that afternoon to expedite a response.
Some student leaders, however, vowed to remain resolute. One declared: “We’re not criminals. We’re registered students. We’re just hungry… We are not leaving here without demand… Our allowances must be released today.” They emphasized that many had been struggling since early January and questioned how students classified as poor under NSFAS were expected to survive for months without support for food or other basics.
Police monitored the situation as students demanded feedback before the end of the week.
The protest underscores ongoing challenges in student funding, particularly for vocational programmes at TVET colleges where support packages differ from those at universities.