Administrator says NSFAS has made a turnaround
National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) administrator Randall Carolissen yesterday told members of Parliament (MPs) the embattled entity had improved to the point where it was able to handle double the number of applicants in the space of a year.
Carolissen submitted figures to the portfolio committee on higher education showing that NSFAS approved financial aid for 442380 students at universities and colleges this year, out of a total of 546499 applications. Last year, the number of applicants had been 267866.
He said thanks to the improved efficacy of the system since it was placed under administration, 93% of applications were finalised by the end of January, in time for the academic registration process.
This relieved beneficiaries of having to pay registration fees.
Carolissen said the number of applicants grew thanks to a comprehensive social media campaign, simplifying the online application process and stabilising the technical platforms at the fund.
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