The extension is to accommodate some students who had challenges pertaining to delays to their NSFAS funding and admission. Those students who intend to register are urged to continue participating in academic activities whilst they are finalising their late registrations. In addition, students must ensure that they remain in contact with the respective lecturers to avoid falling behind with their academic studies.
Since the opening of registration on 11 January 2022, significant progress has been made in addressing some of the funding challenges, to enable students to register successfully.
Registration
As at yesterday, 02 March 2022, the University’s registration stats are just 630 shy of the targeted 30 953, with a total 30 323 students having successfully registered. Of these, 27 641 are undergraduate students and 2 682 are for postgraduate study.
Registration stats for new first-time entering students is at a record high of 10 148, which is a 26% increase on last year’s 8 043.
Students are reminded that any registration after the late registration closure date will be dealt with in terms of a special dispensation where students will have to complete a late request form, motivate why they could not register on time and submit same via their Faculty Academic Administration Office. These will be considered by the Faculty Academic Administration Office and Academic Administration.
Financial Aid
NSFAS
To date, a total 26 221 students have been given statuses and cleared for registration, with 21 936 cleared for accommodation.
Merit awards
A total of 3 522 scholar merit statuses were awarded, with 1 088 of these students registered. Student merit statuses currently stand at 2 201, of which 2 121 are registered. Postgraduate scholarship awards were granted to 1 351 students, with 1 091 registered.
Other major bursaries
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NSFAS Prefunder: 487
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External Funding through Strategic Resource Mobilisation and Advancement Office (SRMA): 462
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Sport: 105
All of the above bursary recipients have registered.
Concessions
As at Wednesday, 02 March 2022, the University had received 8 973 applications for financial concessions for qualifying students up to and including the “missing middle” students (whose household income is more than R350 000 and less than R600 000), with 5 816 applications approved.
A number of those approved (2 353) were ultimately funded by NSFAS and have since fallen off the list. A total 742 applications were unsuccessful due to students not meeting the criteria. To date, 207 concession appeals have been approved and the outcomes communicated to applicants. The office is working to finalise the assessment of the final cohort of appeals today (03 March 2022).
Academic
As the third week of lectures wraps up, the hope is that admitted students, whether registered or not, have been attending classes as per provisions made. Numerous messages were sent to unregistered students to participate in lectures from the start on Monday, 14 February 2022. Unregistered students were provided with data and given access to various online platforms, including email and Moodle.
There is support available to unregistered students who have struggled to keep pace with their studies.
Conclusion
While mindful of students’ rights to air their grievances on issues affecting them, the University wishes to remind protesting students that in doing so, the rights of others would not be infringed upon.
There are existing engagement protocols through which students are given the appropriate platform to raise their concerns, with a view to reaching workable solutions. Protest action should be the last resort only if this avenue is exhausted.
Despite the multitude of challenges that resulted in some delays with clearance for registration, the institutional registration statistics show immense progress in addressing the bulk of challenges experienced.
The University will continue to work towards ensuring that admitted, academically deserving students are successfully registered, so as to retain stability of the academic programme.
Further updates will follow.