Nzimande: R1bn added to NSFAS
Another R1bn has been added to the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), Higher Education and Learning Minister Blade Nzimande said on Thursday.
"[My] department has made available an additional amount of R1bn sourced from National Skills Fund to all universities to cover the 2013 and 2014 shortfall," he told reporters in Pretoria.
He said the NSFAS had a shortfall of R2.6bn in 2013.
He said his department had also approached the Sector Education and Training Authorities to support student at universities.
"The Setas have responded positively and have committed to assist with funding the shortfall, addressing scarce and critical skills in their sector," he said.
More than 430 000 students would be assisted by NSFAS in 2014 across 25 public universities and 50 public further education and training colleges, Nzimande added.
Almost 400 000 study opportunities for matrics - Nzimande
Close to 400 000 study opportunities are available to 2013 matrics at tertiary education institutions, Higher Education and Training MinisterBlade Nzimande said on Thursday.
Nzimande congratulated the class of 2013 for the highest matric pass rate since 1994.
"As the department, we are aware that this is a very important milestone in the lives of young people and therefore would like to take this opportunity to make them aware of approximately 396 449 opportunities available to them within the... 25 universities, 50 further education and training (FET) colleges, and 21 sector education and training authorities [Setas]," Nzimande said.
Further study opportunities available at the country's higher education institutions included:
-- 197 946 new entrant opportunities at universities;
-- 23 000 engineering and business studies opportunities at FET colleges;
-- 44 000 national certificate vocational programme opportunities at FET colleges;
-- 10 000 artisanal opportunities at FET colleges; and
-- 93 000 occupationally-directed (apprenticeship or learnership) opportunities in collaboration with FET colleges, Setas, and employers.
The country's two new universities would also start operating this year.
The intake for the University of Mpumalanga was 240 students, while the Sol Plaatje University in the Northern Cape would register 124 students.
The universities would increase their intake as new infrastructure was built.
"The number of students at the two new universities is expected to increase dramatically over the 10-year development plan with Sol Plaatje University growing to accommodate 7 500 contact students in a variety of programmes on its Kimberley Campus," Nzimande said.
"The University of Mpumalanga will accommodate 15 000 contact students on its Nelspruit campus."
The department would again operate its central application clearing house (CACH) system this year, which went live this week.
"The CACH service is for learners who qualify for higher education studies but have not been accepted at an institution of their choice at the time the matric results were released," Nzimande said.
The system was also meant for pupils who did not apply at institutions before the closing dates last year.
They could register on the system via a call centre on 0860-356-635 or by sending an SMS with their names and ID number to 49200.
"The CACH service will verify the learner’s information and forward it to institutions that still have unfilled places," Nzimande said.
"Where places exist and applicants meet the requirements, institutions will contact students to offer them available places."
New Gauteng university to open in 2015 - Nzimande
A new health and allied sciences university in Gauteng should open its doors in 2015, the higher education department said on Friday.
The name of the new university would be Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said in a statement.
"The university is named after a highly-acclaimed politician, journalist, educationist and theologian.
"We are proud to advance his lifelong struggle for a South Africa that is legitimate, non-racial, non-exploitative, free, independent, democratic, and playing its proper role amongst the nations of the world," Nzimande said.
Sefako Mapogo Makgatho was the second president of the ANC.
The new university would be merged with the Medical University of Southern Africa (Medunsa) campus in Garankuwa, Pretoria.
Nzimande announced his intention to separate Medunsa campus from the University of Limpopo in May 2011.
The decision was based on the findings and recommendations of a task team's report, led by Professor William Makgoba and Dr Max Price.
"The task team had been appointed to review the impact of the merger of the Medical University of South Africa and the University of North, which resulted in the establishment of the University of Limpopo.
"When I made this announcement there was a commitment from the department that we would open the doors for learning of this institution at the beginning of the 2015 academic year."
R2bn earmarked for new universities - Nzimande
Two new universities earmarked for Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape will open their doors next year, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said on Wednesday.
"Much preparatory work has been done and I now expect to establish the two institutions as legal entities in the next month. R2.1bn has been earmarked for the development of the universities over the next three years," Nzimande said in his budget vote speech in the National Assembly.
The two new universities, combined with an expansion of Further Education and Training Colleges (FET), are set to deal with growing enrolments at higher learning institutions.
University enrolments went up by 12% from 837 779 in 2009 to 938 200 in 2011.
"We are chasing the one million mark and aim to increase the total enrolments to 1.62 million by 2030," said Nzimande.
The number of students who graduated rose by 11% during the same period.
"The numbers of post-graduates increased at a higher rate than the overall graduation rate, which is important because it is on post-graduates that we depend for our future academics, researchers, and other leaders in knowledge-intensive professions."
Nzimande said about 25% more students graduated with masters degrees, while those with doctorates grew by 15%, from 1 373 in 2009 to 1 576 in 2011.
"In my view though, this is quite insufficient to meet our needs and it is not really comparable to other leading developing countries, let alone developed ones."
In a bid to significantly increase the number of academics with doctorates, Nzimande was exploring sending students abroad to further their studies.
An inter-ministerial committee report on reviewing the funding of universities was complete.
Nzimande said a revised funding framework was being worked on.
The minister later attacked critics who claimed his decision to place various universities under administration was undermining academic independence.
"Although our public university system as a whole is relatively stable, I have been compelled to take action in some institutions to ensure their integrity and proper functioning in the face of corruption or maladministration," he said.
In the past few years, the Vaal, Tshwane, and Central Universities of Technology, Walter Sisulu University, and the University of Zululand were placed under administration.
Nzimande said: "I refuse to be intimidated by those who say this violates university autonomy but ignore the need for universities to be publicly accountable."
On FET colleges, he said moves were afoot to rename the institutions Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges soon.
"For the 2012 academic year, we set a target of 550 000 student headcount enrolments. However, a total of 657 690 was achieved, representing an increase of 54% over the preceding year," he said.
To expand enrolments at the colleges, an allocation of R6.3bn would be made available over the next three years.
"This will enable us to ensure greater access to education and training opportunities for 702 430 poor and academically capable young people over the MTEF (Medium Term Expenditure Framework) period," Nzimande said.
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