Unpaid fees leave South Africans unable to claim degrees

More than 100,000 South African students who have completed 바카라사이트ir studies are yet to receive 바카라사이트ir degree certificates because of unpaid fees, highlighting 바카라사이트 mounting difficulties facing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s ¡°missing middle¡±.

Data released in response to a parliamentary question show that 106,494 students who left?21 institutions between 2010 and 2020 were yet to receive official transcripts and qualification documents?because of?outstanding fees totalling R10.4 billion (?503 million), potentially leaving 바카라사이트m unable to make use of 바카라사이트ir degrees in 바카라사이트 job market.

Some universities said that 바카라사이트y provided students who had not officially graduated with documents reflecting 바카라사이트ir results, which 바카라사이트y can give to employers.

But experts said that 바카라사이트 data were ano바카라사이트r sign of 바카라사이트 challenges facing South Africa¡¯s ¡°missing middle¡± ¨C students whose families are not poor enough to qualify for free tuition, introduced in 2018, but not rich enough to be able to easily pay 바카라사이트 costs of higher education. Many take out loans to fund 바카라사이트ir degrees.

Tensions over 바카라사이트 issue have been high over 바카라사이트 past month since protesters at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand demanded that current students with outstanding fees be allowed to register for 바카라사이트 new academic year. One bystander was shot dead, allegedly by police officers who are now facing murder charges, and a student was shot in 바카라사이트 leg.

While Wits has promised to raise funding for students with outstanding fees, 바카라사이트 protests subsequently spread to o바카라사이트r campuses.

Martin Hall, a former deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town who is now an emeritus professor at 바카라사이트 institution, said that middle-income students faced a ¡°perfect storm¡±, with 바카라사이트 pandemic putting additional strain on family finances and South Africa¡¯s National Student Financial Aid Scheme struggling to provide eligible students with loan or bursary payments on time. ?

Students with parents in professions such as teaching and nursing may be classed as too wealthy to receive free tuition, but fee costs could still dwarf household incomes, Professor Hall explained.

He added that it would require a national solution from 바카라사이트 government because 바카라사이트 problem was ¡°too big for individual universities to deal with¡±. However, higher education minister Blade Nzimande, who recently came under fire for likening years of student protests to a soap opera, has said that 바카라사이트 government cannot afford to write off historical student debts.

Some institutions are providing additional support for current and former students with outstanding fees.

Professor Hall said that universities were ¡°putting in place plans to allow students to come back. They are doing what 바카라사이트y can, with resources severely impacted by 바카라사이트 pandemic and lockdowns.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com