Seeing the past and taking hold of the future:

A NSFAS perspective on learning experiences in

financial aid

Fiona LewisSenior Manager: Loans and Bursaries

“In financial aid, we are just implementing the relationship

between education and development - when you

develop the individual, you develop the family”(Mr Khaya Matiso)

What have we contributed?

• How much funding has been administered?Year How much?2001 R 673 401 991.94 2002 R 789 686 040.07 2003 R 943 028 484.66 2004 R 1 006 866 115.86 2005 R 1 241 833 203.00 2006 R 1 403 847 331.90 2007 R 1 876 311 102.92 2008 R 2 522 394 130.49 2009 R 3 275 361 372.26 2010 R 3 781 331 555.28

A grand total of R17 514 061 328

What have we contributed?

• How many students have been assisted?Loan Year No. of Students No. new Students % growth No of Students No new Students

All institutions University only

2001 80 512 38 239 80 512 38 239

2002 86 146 38 315 7% 86 146 38 315

2003 96 552 44 300 12% 96 552 44 301

2004 98 809 41 416 2% 98 732 41 339

2005 106 850 43 861 8% 106 772 43 847

2006 108 414 42 027 1% 108 294 41 960

2007 125 897 57 837 16% 113 107 45 159

2008 153 788 76 911 22% 117 764 45 959

2009 191 035 97 703 24% 135 202 56 184

2010 210 576 98 099 10% 148 387 58 839

TOTALS 810 036 685 272

What success can we show?

• Of the 38 240 students whose first loan was in 2001:– 19 514 have dropped out, 17 045 have graduated,

and 1680 are still studying– 11 987 students have settled their accounts– 16 674 are employed in the formal sector

What success can we show?

• Of the 38 316 students whose first loan was in 2002:– 18 909 have dropped out, 16 939 have graduated

and 2468 are still studying– 10 410 have settled their accounts– 15 390 are employed in the formal sector

What success can we show?

• Of the 44 300 students whose first loan was in 2003:– 21 738 have dropped out, 18 633 have graduated

and 3929 are still studying– 9 020 have settled their accounts– 15 704 have found employment in the formal

sector

What success can we show?

• Of the 41 416 students whose first loan year was 2004:– 16 540 have graduated, 18 684 have dropped out

and 6 192 are still studying– 6 641 have settled their accounts– 12 856 have found employment in the formal

sector

What success can we show?

• Of the 43 861 students whose first loan year was in 2005,– 15 366 have graduated, 17 866 have dropped out

and 10 629 are still studying– 4 904 have settled their accounts– 10 974 are employed in the formal sector

What success can we show?

• Of the 42 027 students whose first loan was in 2006,– 12 461 have graduated, 14 250 have dropped out

and 15 316 are still studying– 2 969 have settled their accounts– 7 552 have found employment in the formal

sector

What success can we show?

• Of the 57 836 students whose first loan was in 2007,– 38 679 are still studying, 7417 have graduated and

11 740 have dropped out– 16 533 have settled their accounts (also as a result

of the increase in the number of bursaries in 2007)– 4 414 have found employment in the formal

sector

What success can we show?

• Of the 76 911 students whose first loan year was in 2008,– 64 849 are still studying, 2942 have graduated, but 9 120

have dropped out– 1 614 are employed in the formal sector

• Of the 97 873 students whose first loan year was in 2009,– 91 412 are still studying, 1 430 have graduated, but 5 031

have dropped out– 944 are employed in the formal sector

But what about the failures?

• High numbers of students who have dropped out:– If this is correct, is this because of financial exclusion or other factors?– Are we doing enough to monitor and identify students at risk for

dropping out?

• Significantly high numbers of students whose first loans were in the first half of the decade who are still studying?– Is this an indicator of poor reporting or students pursuing careers as

students?– Are we doing enough to monitor and identify students who are

struggling?

“universities should be judged on the quality of the

student experience”(Prof Marcus Balintulo)

BUT, where is the student voice at a

conference of this nature?

Should we not be including students as strategic partners in furthering the

achievement of our shared goals?

“there is a need to develop a deliberate intervention to resource the universities”

(Prof Marcus Balintulo)

How do we do this?

• Resourcing – infrastructure, technology and people power– What is NSFAS’ role?– What is FAPSA’s role?

• Strengthening best practice– What is NSFAS’s role? What is FAPSA’s role? How

do we support each other?• Improving the dialogue between NSFAS and

the universities and FETCs

“Sometimes as policy makers, we pronounce without looking at

what will work”(Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize)

Funding plans for 2011/12: In brief

Total value to be administered

DBE – Funza Lushaka R 449 440 000

DBE – Funza Lushaka EU R 11 000 000

DSD – Social Work R 235 956 000

DHET – Disability R 60 000 000

DHET – FET R 1 235 244 000

DHET – General R 2 456 358 000

DHET – Teacher R 96 206 000

DHET - NatSkills R 150 000 000

DHET – Final Year R 751 826 000

Other funds R 389 382 000

NEW FUNDING

DHET – Historic Debt R200 000 000

DHET- Postgraduate Funding R50 000 000

REVISED TOTAL R 6 044 412 000

“The tendency to throw money at all problems is not

going to be effective – we need to know what we are

going to do with the money”(Dr JJ Mbana)

Funding plans for 2011/12: In brief

• Circular Notices 2 and 4 – Final Year Programme• National FAO Workshop 21 January and 10 March

2011• Circular Notice 7 – New funding programmes• FET Circular Notice 1 – Report 191 and NCV• National FET Workshop 11 February 2011• Planned Regional workshops in August (universities)

and Sept/Oct (FETCs)• Planned National FAO workshop in October

“the introduction of free education is a complex mandate”

(Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize)

In concluding,