The student representative council (SRC) of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) on Friday condemned what it said are financial aid policies aimed at excluding poorer students.
SRC president Floyd Shivambu said vice-chancellor Loyiso Nongxa’s financial aid policies accommodate only those students whose parents earn less than R96 000 per year.
This violates the policy of the government’s means test, according to which students of parents earning less than R130 000 per year are entitled to financial assistance, Shivambu said.
He added that more than 2 000 students risk being excluded this year.
The chairperson of the Wits South African Students Congress (Sasco), Moses Metileni, said student leadership is being undermined as consultation has been reduced to the university authority merely telling students what it has already decided.
The SRC, together with the African National Congress Youth League and Sasco, demands the immediate registration ”of all academically deserving students who need financial aid”.
A further demand is that residences should also be allocated to students based on need, not on what they can pay.
Nongxa was given until Tuesday to meet their demands.
If these demands are not met, the SRC threatens to disrupt the start of the academic year next week.
Nongxa said on Friday that the university’s resources are limited and that it is impossible to provide financial assistance for everybody.
”The cake is limited. I cannot afford to fund 9 000 students. Wits does not have the resources,” he said.
”I’ve got a budget which is approved by [the university’s] council. Council says that we should prioritise those students who can’t get bank loans.”
He said the university is looking at ways of recouping money spent on assisting students. The money being repaid by students who have already graduated and are working is being used to help new students, he said. — Sapa