Hundreds of Buffalo City College students have to try to sleep on empty stomachs after the college management outsourced payment of their food allowance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
NSFAS introduced a system called sBux to pay eligible students their allowances for food, books, private accommodation and travel in January 2014.
However, the administration function was last year transferred to the colleges.
Buffalo City College in East London decided to outsource the management of funds to a company named Edu Loan at the beginning of the year.
However, instead of the expected R1200 a month, students have reportedly been receiving only R200.
Hundreds of hungry students took to the streets yesterday, disrupting operations on campus and demanding that college management address the issue.
BCC deputy principal Thami Ngaso said the decision to outsource to Edu Loan was because the campus had no capacity to manage the funds.
Kwakhanya Sondlo, a third-year education and development student, said that since February students had been getting R200, which did not even cover half their expenses.
Addressing angry students near the War Monument in Oxford Street yesterday, Ngaso said they had to rope in Edu Loan to facilitate the payments.
“As things stand now, the college does not have the capacity to make these payments.
“If it was able, it would have done so on Tuesday,” she said.
Ngaso gave the students two options – to be patient with the processes taken by Edu Loan or the college-based payment system.
She said if students chose the latter, problems might persist.
Students also claimed they had not been receiving travel allowances given to students who were unable to secure hostel accommodation and lived far from college premises.
Bukiwe Gazi, a second-year student, said she could not find accommodation at college residences and she now walked from Duncan Village every day, risking being mugged.
The Daily Dispatch spoke to Siphelele Mazwai, an Edu Loans relationships consultant, who acknowledged receipt of questions e-mailed by the newspaper.
However, she said only head office dealt with media queries.
A response had not been received at the time of writing.
NSFAS spokesman Kagisho Mamabolo said they were waiting for the college to provide NSFAS with additional information on the claim.
“The policy is that the college should have the committee that should govern the process of allocation of allowances to students in line with the funding guidelines.
“It should be noted that it is policy that colleges must first ensure that tuition fees are paid as priorities,” Mamabolo said. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
Hunger drives student protest
NSFAS introduced a system called sBux to pay eligible students their allowances for food, books, private accommodation and travel in January 2014.
However, the administration function was last year transferred to the colleges.
Buffalo City College in East London decided to outsource the management of funds to a company named Edu Loan at the beginning of the year.
However, instead of the expected R1200 a month, students have reportedly been receiving only R200.
Hundreds of hungry students took to the streets yesterday, disrupting operations on campus and demanding that college management address the issue.
BCC deputy principal Thami Ngaso said the decision to outsource to Edu Loan was because the campus had no capacity to manage the funds.
Kwakhanya Sondlo, a third-year education and development student, said that since February students had been getting R200, which did not even cover half their expenses.
Addressing angry students near the War Monument in Oxford Street yesterday, Ngaso said they had to rope in Edu Loan to facilitate the payments.
“As things stand now, the college does not have the capacity to make these payments.
“If it was able, it would have done so on Tuesday,” she said.
Ngaso gave the students two options – to be patient with the processes taken by Edu Loan or the college-based payment system.
She said if students chose the latter, problems might persist.
Students also claimed they had not been receiving travel allowances given to students who were unable to secure hostel accommodation and lived far from college premises.
Bukiwe Gazi, a second-year student, said she could not find accommodation at college residences and she now walked from Duncan Village every day, risking being mugged.
The Daily Dispatch spoke to Siphelele Mazwai, an Edu Loans relationships consultant, who acknowledged receipt of questions e-mailed by the newspaper.
However, she said only head office dealt with media queries.
A response had not been received at the time of writing.
NSFAS spokesman Kagisho Mamabolo said they were waiting for the college to provide NSFAS with additional information on the claim.
“The policy is that the college should have the committee that should govern the process of allocation of allowances to students in line with the funding guidelines.
“It should be noted that it is policy that colleges must first ensure that tuition fees are paid as priorities,” Mamabolo said. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
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