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‘No Student Should Fall Through the Cracks’: SA Deputy Minister Vows to Take on NSFAS Delays
‘No Student Should Fall Through the Cracks’: SA Deputy Minister Vows to Take on NSFAS Delays
Sputnik Africa
SA Deputy Minister of Higher Education Yusuf Cassim has pledged to push for faster action on the funding and administrative problems affecting students across... 16.07.2026, Sputnik Africa
2026-07-16T19:41+0200
2026-07-16T19:41+0200
2026-07-16T20:16+0200
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SA Deputy Minister of Higher Education Yusuf Cassim has pledged to push for faster action on the funding and administrative problems affecting students across the country.Cassim said more than 1.24 million students rely on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, stressing that for many of them, “NSFAS is not simply a funding scheme. It is the only bridge between their potential and their possibility.”He criticized months-long delays affecting students whose funding has been suspended while they remain under investigation.Cassim also raised concerns over unpaid allowances, slow NSFAS call-centre responses, incorrectly classified programs and uncertainty facing second-semester students.He said the Deputy Minister’s Helpdesk is being digitized to track complaints, escalate individual cases and prevent students from being ignored.Cassim called on government, NSFAS and universities to stop shifting blame and work together to solve problems urgently.
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‘No Student Should Fall Through the Cracks’: SA Deputy Minister of Higher Education Vows to Take on NSFAS Delays
Sputnik Africa
‘No Student Should Fall Through the Cracks’: SA Deputy Minister of Higher Education Vows to Take on NSFAS Delays
2026-07-16T19:41+0200
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‘No Student Should Fall Through the Cracks’: SA Deputy Minister Vows to Take on NSFAS Delays
19:41 16.07.2026 (Updated: 20:16 16.07.2026) SA Deputy Minister of Higher Education Yusuf Cassim has pledged to push for faster action on the funding and administrative problems affecting students across the country.
Cassim said more than 1.24 million students rely on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, stressing that for many of them, “NSFAS is not simply a funding scheme. It is the only bridge between their potential and their possibility.”
He criticized months-long delays affecting students whose funding has been suspended while they remain under investigation.
“I find it really unacceptable that it can take so long,” he said, adding that some students had been left without answers for up to five months.
Cassim also raised concerns over unpaid allowances, slow NSFAS call-centre responses, incorrectly classified programs and uncertainty facing second-semester students.
He said the Deputy Minister’s Helpdesk is being digitized to track complaints, escalate individual cases and prevent students from being ignored.
“No student should be left behind. No student should fall through the cracks. No student shouldn’t be left five months without an answer,” he said.
Cassim called on government, NSFAS and universities to stop shifting blame and work together to solve problems urgently.
“Responsiveness should not just be a slogan; it should be a standard,” he said.
