Deputy Minister Cassim vows to fix NSFAS failures – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Yusuf Cassim has vowed to correct the failures that exist at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) that affect the well-being of students.
This comes after his visit to Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha last week where over 350 students enrolled in extended programmes had been defunded because of incorrect qualification codes.
Deputy Minister of Education Yusuf Cassim has described the disturbance of his scheduled address by some students at Nelson Mandela University as unfortunate and unfair to those students who really needed assistance. https://t.co/2THXDX4JA9 pic.twitter.com/UraapLhqxy
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 18, 2026
NSFAS did however confirm earlier, that it had restored funding to the 357 students affected.
WATCH | Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Yusuf Cassim, says they are working around the clock to find help for thousands of students affected by delayed NSFAS allowance payments, unresolved funding appeals and frozen funding during “gap investigations”. pic.twitter.com/Gkvsbz52Yf
— SABC News (@SABCNews) July 17, 2026
Cassim says a student should not have their access or success compromised by administrative and bureaucratic failures within NSFAS.
“There were a number of students that were being defunded and they were being incorrectly defunded because the incorrect qualification codes were uploaded by different institutions. And I then stepped in to work together with NSFAS in order to restore the funding of these students, many of whom had their allowances and other funding elements frozen fir as long as five months he says.
Deputy Minister of Education Yusuf Cassim has described the disturbance of his scheduled address by some students at Nelson Mandela University as unfortunate and unfair to those students who really needed assistance. https://t.co/2THXDX4JA9 pic.twitter.com/UraapLhqxy
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 18, 2026
Cassim says the conversation is at a point where he is now pushing to ensure that those students are not prejudiced by the academic progression criteria to retain their funding for next year.
RELATED VIDEO | Yusuf Cassim steps in as NSFAS challenges persist