Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande on Student Debt, Financial Exclusions and Infrastructure Backlogs

STUDENT debt is growing in the university system. This is according Minister of Higher Education, Science And Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande during his address to members of the South African Student Union (SAUS) at their eighth National Elective Conference held at the University of Venda on Sunday.

Nzimande said it is extremely worrying to note that inequitable patterns of student success still prevail. He said this was especially true for African and coloured male students.

Adding that this category of students continue to be the least successful in the university system.

“There are four categories of affected students that have been identified.

“They include NSFAS [National Student Financial Aid Scheme] students, students who are recipients of other scholarships and bursaries, self-paying students – including the so-called ‘missing middle’ students, and international students,” said Nzimande.

The minister added that his department and higher education stakeholders have acknowledged that there have sometimes