The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) at UCT, and the UCT EFF Student Command (EFFSC) have welcomed Council’s approval of a joint proposal aimed at addressing 2024 fee debt issues affecting financially vulnerable students.
The plan was tabled by the executive and the SRC.
Council Chair Norman Arendse (SC) announced that the decision was taken at a special Council meeting on Thursday.
“The joint proposal submitted by the executive and SRC was the outcome of a collaborative effort aimed at balancing the pressing need to ensure that the university caters for financially vulnerable students who are also academically eligible, but whose debt exceeds the R10 000 threshold. At the same time, it sought to ensure that the university remains financially sustainable,” Arendse said.
“Council was impressed at the commitment demonstrated by the SRC and the executive to intensify fundraising efforts as well as to ensure that students and fee-payers who can afford to pay do so. These are among the measures that will be taken towards minimising the university’s historic student debt, which currently stands at R864 million.”
The joint proposal approved by Council covers five categories of students as follows:
- Academically eligible but financially vulnerable students who lost financial aid funding subject to debt owed being limited to the 2024 academic year
- Students who have made significant partial payments towards their 2024 debt
- Students who had bursaries in 2024 and have historic debt
- Students who have secured funding for their 2025 studies
- Students who are self-funded and have made 0% payment
“The total threshold for implementation will be limited to R30 million. It is however important to emphasise that the university is not covering or waiving this debt; each student will remain responsible for settling their outstanding fees.
“A further requirement for all five categories is that students will need to have a confirmed crowdfunding account (Feenix, BackaBuddy, etc) and sign an acknowledgement of debt,” Arendse said.
The UCT EFFSC said while the move was welcomed, they acknowledged that the Council's decision is not a permanent solution.
“It provides much-needed relief for students at this critical moment. We urge the SRC to remain proactive and not become complacent.
“Even as students return to classes, the SRC must continue engaging with the university to amend exclusionary policies and work toward a long-term solution, so that we do not face this same crisis every year,” the UCT EFFSC said.
“We would also like to commend the SRC. This SRC has shown that it will always be on the side of the students, they did their best in making sure that they offer shelter and food to students who were faced with fee-blocks and accommodation crisis. At a time when leadership was needed most, the SRC stood up and provided the necessary leadership, that is why we are able to have students who are registering today,” they said.
They also thanked all those who assisted with donations, and the students who participated in all activities that took place last week.
UCT SRC President Thando Lukhele said the decision largely protects the financially vulnerable who are struggling to afford studying at UCT, but they will still be engaging the Council on the issue of housing.
“There has been a snail approach in regards to housing being dealt with, amid the housing crisis, so we have yet to see how we’re going to tackle that issue,” he said.
Lukhele said they are seeking to reach a long-term solution to the housing situation as they have had students who have been sleeping in the SRC offices. Lukhele said that the students had to resort to private housing due to the student residences being full.
Cape Times