Last-minute applications a 'headache' for NSFAS
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says it anticipates a high number of walk-ins this month from tertiary students who had not previously applied for financial aid.
This comes after the Department of Basic Education released the much-anticipated matric results for the class of 2019.
The department revealed that the national matric pass rate had risen to 81.3%, many of whom will now make their way to tertiary institutions.
NSFAS administrator Randall Carolissen says last minute applications will be a headache for the financial aid scheme.
"The challenge we will have for January is that those students who did not apply and now going to the institutions they are going to present a headache for us because we know that a lot of matric students only go after they've received their results.”
Carolissen says they have made provision for walk-ins to accommodate late applications at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
"Be that as it may, we have geared up and we do have plans in place to handle the walk-ins at the TVET colleges for January.
"Only once you have been accepted at a TVET college and you are NSFAS eligible will you be considered."
On Monday NSFAS announced that it had received a record-high total of new applications.
A total of 543,268 first-time applications were received by the closing date compared to 428,929 the previous year.
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This after matric results for the class of 2019 were released on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Department of Basic Education announced on Tuesday that the 2019 national matric pass rate has risen to 81.3%. It is a 3,9% improvement from 2018.