TUT Students Reject New Banking System for NSFAS Beneficiaries

The campus student representative council (CSRC) at Tshwane University of Technology has rejected the NSFAS eZaga direct payment system.

By using independent service providers for direct payments rather than higher education institutions, NSFAS will be able to make direct payments into bank accounts.

TUT should be excluded from the process at least until 2024, according to CSRC secretary Keamogetswe Masike.

TUT Students Reject New Banking System for NSFAS Beneficiaries

Neither people are entering nor exiting our university. Despite the fact that many of our students are at home and haven’t received their allowances, we remain concerned that business as usual can never resume. Normally, we wouldn’t have a problem with this process if it were legitimate and credible, but now it is rushed and imposed on universities,” he said.

According to Masike, implementing a process of this nature during a time where students are busy studying and preparing for exams wasn’t rational.

Slumezi Skosana, a spokesperson for NSFAS, said the company is taking over direct payment to ensure that it is accountable for student allowances and to ensure better coordination of student fund transfers.

NSFAS did not assume responsibility for alleged fraudulent transactions and erroneous payments made to students, according to Skosana.

Many universities distributed student allowances using service providers. “Neither NSFAS nor the universities are directly responsible for the actions taken by the service providers.” he said.

The new allowance system is expected to not only provide dependable and predictable allowances to students, but also be convenient for them.

The financial aid institution said its teams were dispatched to engage student representative councils and university management on direct payments and related matters.

A number of questions were raised about the new payment system during the engagements, and clarifications were sought.

According to Skosana, NSFAS would not allow activities that detract from the purpose of direct payments to muddle a system that was created in good faith.

NSFAS did not assume responsibility for alleged fraudulent transactions and erroneous payments made to students, according to Skosana.

A number of universities [engaged] service providers to disburse student allowances. It would not be the responsibility of NSFAS to directly monitor the actions of the service providers or the universities,” he stated.

The new allowance system is expected to not only provide dependable and predictable allowances to students, but also be convenient for them.

Direct payments and related matters were discussed with the financial aid institution’s teams and student representative councils.

According to the document, the new payment system was the subject of several questions and clarifications during the engagements.

Skosana, in response to allegations that excessive charges were being imposed and funds were not reaching their intended beneficiaries, said NSFAS would not allow a legitimate system to be upended by activities that undermine it.