PRETORIA, Gauteng – Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Yusuf Cassim, has escalated urgent interventions regarding the ongoing Unisa NSFAS funding delays, formally submitting a comprehensive dossier of student grievances directly to the University of South Africa’s executive management. This decisive action addresses critical bottlenecks surrounding the July Personal Care Allowance disbursements and the recent cessation of monthly data stipends, issues that have severely impacted over 93,000 distance-learning scholars.
Channelled through the Deputy Minister’s dedicated Helpdesk, the complaints highlight severe academic and financial strain. For remote learners, reliable connectivity and timely financial aid are non-negotiable. The delayed July payouts, coupled with the removal of data support, have created a compounded crisis for the affected student body, threatening their ability to remain connected and academically productive.
During a recent high-level summit involving Cassim, Unisa executives, student leadership, and NSFAS delegates, the financial timeline was clarified. NSFAS confirmed that the requisite funds were successfully transferred to the university on 2 July 2026. However, an internal system glitch at Unisa obstructed the immediate processing of these funds. University representatives confirmed the technical fault was rectified on Monday, 6 July 2026, and all backlogged payments are now being actively processed.
Highlighting the inadequacy of the current financial framework, Cassim expressed frustration that students must endure such administrative hurdles. “If we are being honest, R316 per month for a distance-learning student, which is less than the Social Relief Grant, is simply not enough, given the resources students need to succeed academically,” he noted. He added that while the amount is fundamentally insufficient, substantive adjustments must be navigated through the formal annual NSFAS policy review process.
Strategic Action Items and Institutional Commitments
The summit produced several actionable commitments designed to mend the fractured coordination between the funding body and the institution:
- Payment Schedule Audit: Cassim will formally write to NSFAS Administrator Professor Hlengani Mathebula, demanding a comprehensive briefing on institutional payout schedules. Cassim pointed out a structural flaw in the current system: NSFAS currently disburses funds only after the month has already begun, leaving universities with an impractical turnaround time to credit students.
- On-Site Financial Reconciliation: NSFAS has committed to deploying a specialized finance team to the Unisa campus next week. Their mandate is to reconcile all outstanding balances and resolve lingering financial disputes between the two entities.
- Direct Student Engagement: Unisa management has agreed to facilitate a direct engagement between Cassim and the student body, ensuring that leadership hears the scholars’ realities and concerns firsthand.
Leveraging Policy Reviews for Distance Learning Reform
Looking beyond immediate fixes, Cassim emphasized that the forthcoming annual NSFAS policy review, alongside the anticipated amendment of the NSFAS Act, presents a vital opportunity to overhaul distance education funding. Key areas targeted for systemic reform include:
- The current exclusion of Unisa students registered for fewer than 10 modules from allowance eligibility.
- The glaring inadequacy of the R316 monthly Personal Care Allowance.
- The lack of supplementary financial aid beyond basic personal care and one-time book allowances.
- A broader reevaluation of the funding architecture specifically tailored for distance-learning institutions like Unisa.
Cassim noted that his direct engagement with the university has deepened his understanding of these challenges, which will strategically guide his contributions to the legislative and policy review processes at the appropriate time.
Renewed Push for Sustainable Data Allowances
On the topic of digital access, Cassim strongly urged the Unisa Council to reverse its decision to scrap monthly data allowances. He stressed that affordable, reliable internet is a foundational requirement for remote academic success. While he acknowledged the Council’s ongoing negotiations with private telecommunications partners to secure discounted data, he insisted that a sustainable, institutionalized monthly data allocation remains essential to prevent students from being left behind.
Helpdesk Escalations and Unresolved Discrepancies
Reaffirming the Deputy Minister’s Helpdesk as a crucial “helping hand” for rapid, personalized grievance escalation, Cassim promised continued collaborative advocacy to drive meaningful solutions.
Additionally, he raised specific Helpdesk reports indicating that certain students had received partial payments totaling less than the mandated R316. Despite being presented with documented evidence during the meeting, Unisa management denied the systemic allegations. However, the university has agreed to review any forwarded individual cases to assess them individually and provide targeted responses and resolutions where necessary.