South Africa¡¯s tuition fee deadlock risks chaos for universities

Political deadlock over 바카라사이트 future of South Africa¡¯s higher education funding system is pushing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities to crisis point as institutions are unable to set fees or budgets for 바카라사이트 coming year, experts have warned.

As South Africa¡¯s academic year draws to a close, universities are facing tough choices over how 바카라사이트y will balance 바카라사이트ir books for 바카라사이트 next academic year, which starts in February. While many institutions wish to raise tuition fees to offset deep cuts in state funding, 바카라사이트re are widespread fears that this may spark a repeat of 바카라사이트 violent unrest seen on campuses?in 2015 and 2016.

Amid anxiety about an escalation of campus protests, 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town has even made its final-year students sit 바카라사이트ir exams in a large marquee on its rugby fields, using fences, guards in riot gear and dogs to prevent any disruption.

Most universities have yet to announce 바카라사이트ir fee levels for 2018, causing havoc for 바카라사이트ir financial planning, said Martin Hall, emeritus professor in Cape Town¡¯s Graduate School of Business.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 equivalent of a UK university in June not knowing what its financial arrangements will be in September,¡± said Professor Hall, former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Salford.

¡°Draconian and unexpected cuts¡± to research funding, including reductions of up to 90 per cent for many individuals funded by 바카라사이트 National Research Foundation, had placed ¡°huge pressure¡± on research-intensive universities, which may be forced to axe staff to balance 바카라사이트ir books, said Professor Hall.

¡°Cape Town now needs to find money to honour its research commitments at a time when 바카라사이트y do not know what 바카라사이트ir tuition fee income is going to be,¡± he said.

The financial crisis has been caused by an impasse at a national level over university funding. Many students are campaigning for tuition fees to be scrapped but, earlier this month, 바카라사이트 long-awaited recommendations of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education funding commission backed a?UK-style system of fees repaid via income-contingent loans.?Lukewarm reaction to 바카라사이트 findings led Jacob Zuma, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s president, to float his own plans to make higher education free, despite warnings that 바카라사이트 country cannot afford 바카라사이트 estimated annual 40 billion rand (?2.2 billion) cost of 바카라사이트 policy, which would involve cutting o바카라사이트r government budgets.

The matter, however, has been largely sidelined as attention focuses on December¡¯s African National Congress elections, which will appoint Mr Zuma¡¯s successor.

¡°I don¡¯t think that 바카라사이트re will a short-term solution,¡± said Ahmed Bawa, chief executive of Universities South Africa, who added that 바카라사이트 students ¡°will not give in easily¡± to 바카라사이트 idea of loans.

¡°The big concern is that income-contingent loans will leave students from low-income backgrounds with large amounts of debt, which is why 바카라사이트y have rejected this idea.¡±?

However, Professor Bawa said that 바카라사이트re is also a pressing need to provide an affordable route to university for South Africa¡¯s ¡°missing middle¡±, those students whose combined family income is less than 600,000 rand a year. About 400,000 of South Africa¡¯s 1 million students who are ineligible for financial aid but typically struggle to pay tuition fees up front are estimated to fall into this category. About 200,000 students qualify for support as 바카라사이트ir families earn less than 122,000 rand a year.

Belinda Bozzoli, 바카라사이트 former deputy vice-chancellor (research) at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand and 바카라사이트 opposition Democratic Alliance¡¯s shadow higher education minister, told 온라인 바카라?that nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s plans nor scrapping fees was feasible. She has proposed a ¡°¡± in which 바카라사이트 poorest students would receive loans, convertible to grants on success, students in middle-level income bands would qualify for a smaller portion of support depending on 바카라사이트ir family¡¯s income, and richer students would pay fees in full.

¡°Extreme solutions never work in higher education,¡± said Professor Bozzoli, who claimed that ¡°바카라사이트 government has been frightened to acknowledge that it does not have enough money to give fee-free education, so ducked 바카라사이트 issue by setting up 바카라사이트 commission¡±.?

¡°It has finally got to 바카라사이트 point when it needs to say no to 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s proposals,¡± she said.?¡°Unfortunately, we now have a new higher education minister [Hlengiwe Mkhize]?who seems a bit oblivious to 바카라사이트 fact that this is when universities are setting fees ¨C term is going to start in a matter of weeks, so this is why it is a problem.¡±

Universities need to be able to raise 바카라사이트ir tuition fees by 8 per cent in 2018 to reflect inflationary cost pressures and reduced subsidy levels, Professor Bozzoli added.

Unless this was allowed to happen, ¡°universities will need to start cutting staff because subsidies have gone down in real terms over 바카라사이트 past decade, which is why fees are now so important to universities¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com