1 in 5 Nsfas students are failing

2026-03-26 - 09:10

Just more than one in five students funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) are failing to meet academic progression requirements. According to figures tabled before the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education on Wednesday, 21.6% of students at university and TVET Colleges are not meeting the required academic standards. Majority meeting progression criteria Nsfas reported that 466 117 university students and 145 986 TVET college students met the academic progression criteria. By contrast, 102 082 university students and 66 647 TVET students did not meet the requirements. A further 1 235 university results remain outstanding, while the total number of funded students stands at 569 434 at universities and 212 633 at TVET colleges. Funding continues despite failures However, concerns remain over continued funding for students who do not meet academic requirements. According to the Ministry of Higher Education and Training, audit findings revealed “tens of thousands of cases where students with prior qualifications, or who failed to meet academic progression requirements, continued to be funded”. The minister, Buti Manamela, has since moved to tighten oversight. ALSO READ: Bloodshed in Gauteng: Two pupils stabbed to death Audit exposes systemic failures Separately, the ministry confirmed that Nsfas received a disclaimer of opinion for the 2024/25 financial year, the worst possible audit outcome. “The Auditor-General’s report describes a deepening breakdown in governance, financial controls, and accountability,” the statement said. Among the most alarming findings were: 822 students recorded as deceased who continued receiving funding More than 14 000 ineligible students funded despite exceeding income thresholds 321 students “double-dipping”, receiving both Nsfas and Social Relief of Distress grants “These findings mean that funding allocations intended for poor and working-class students were diverted,” the ministry said. Manamela has directed Nsfas to activate its forensic unit and work with the Special Investigating Unit to probe fraud and recover funds. “No student who genuinely qualifies for Nsfas funding has anything to fear from these investigations,” the ministry said. Appeals backlog and accommodation crisis The minister also flagged 7 805 outstanding student appeals, with “98.8% of them caused by system failures”. “Students should not be waiting more than 70 days for an appeal outcome as it is not acceptable, and it will change,” they said. Meanwhile, the audit revealed unsafe and undignified student accommodation conditions, including harassment by landlords and housing located near taverns. “These are violations of the basic dignity of young people who came to study, not to survive a housing crisis,” the ministry said. Nsfas has been ordered to submit a comprehensive remedial plan by 30 April 2026, with quarterly accountability sessions to follow. “We are committed to Nsfas. We are committed to the students. And we are committed to building an institution that can be trusted,” Manamela said. NOW READ: KZN schoolgirl fight sparks outrage as MEC slams ‘culture of violence’