NSFAS payment bottlenecks under the microscope during Deputy Minister’s visit

We must put an end to funding freezes, sporadic defunding, missing data, double registrations, data mismatches, portal closures, and delayed approvals that lead to late claims – all of which have resulted in the suspension of payments for crucial NSFAS allowances to deserving students.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tinyiko Maluleke and Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Yusuf Cassim. This was the central message by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Yusuf Cassim, during an oversight visit to the Tshwane University of Technology on 9 September 2026.

The aim of his visit was to receive an update on the progress of NSFAS gap investigations on affected students and to help NSFAS and the University explore speedy solutions.

Minister Cassim met the university leadership, led by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, the NSFAS leadership, and the student leadership to discuss up to 300 cases of the 1 212 students affected by the gap investigations.

After Prof Maluleke had welcomed the Deputy Minister and his delegation, TUT presentations were made by the CFO Theo Madurai and the Institution Student Representative Council (ISRC) President Mr Banele Ntsele. Madurai also highlighted several internal University initiatives to assist defunded students, among others, support for food to qualifying students.  

For his part, the ISRC President highlighted the adverse effect of region-based accommodation caps as well as the plight of first-year students who have been placed in accredited accommodation but have been unable to submit claims because of NSFAS portal closures.

In his detailed input which was based on a clearly defined set of problems experienced by students, the Deputy Minister expressed concern that many legitimate beneficiaries were not receiving funding due not to shortcomings of their own, but because of  bureaucratic failures by NSFAS, universities, or the Department of Higher Education and Training. According to the Deputy Minister, one legitimate student beneficiary who is not receiving their allowances for one month, is one too many.

In his intervention, the NSFAS Senior Manager for Universities, Thilivhali Mukondeleli, assured the Deputy Minister that it was working to resolve the issues pertaining to gap investigations. Prof Maluleke thanked the Deputy Minister for the visit, saying such engagement is important for resolving bottlenecks and ensuring that no student is negatively impacted.