Every new academic year, the same pattern unfolds in South Africa: students take to the streets, demanding their right to education. As the academic year begins, we brace ourselves for disruptions, warnings about potential protests, and the possibility of moving online. This cycle repeats itself year after year.

This year, the University of Cape Town (UCT) sent out an email stating:

“As you know, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the #FeesMustFall student movements, and we should expect protests at UCT (and possibly nationally) around fee debt.”

The UCT Student Representative Council (SRC) has submitted a memorandum calling for a sustainable solution to ensure that academically eligible yet financially vulnerable students are not blocked from continuing their education due to outstanding fees. Additionally, they have called for an extension of on-campus accommodation.

However, This issue is not limited to UCT alone. As the UCT SRC and social media has rightly pointed out, this crisis reflects broader systemic failures— issues with government policies, economic priorities, and funding mechanisms.

Education: A Constitutional Right, Not a Privilege

Students’ calls for change are not sudden; they are based on long-standing expectations for accessible education in South Africa. The 1955 Freedom Charter called for “free and compulsory education” (ANC, 1955). Our Constitution, under Section 29, affirms that “everyone has the right to further education, which the State, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible” (SA Constitution, 1996:29).

In pursuit of this right, UCT students have taken their demands directly to Parliament. Yet, despite this fight for education, students are met with backlash. On social media, particularly TikTok, some question: “Why did you choose to study at UCT if you can’t afford it?” Others resort to racist remarks, failing to recognize that UCT is a public institution and that the democratic government has a duty to ensure access to education. Education should not be a privilege—it is a fundamental right.

The Real Issue: Affordability

University fees are simply too high for the average South African. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), while providing funding, places a cap on accommodation at R50,000—yet the cheapest UCT residence, for example, costs R57,990 and only accommodates four students. The math simply does not add up.

UCT’s financial assistance framework only supports students in specific categories:

1. Academically eligible but financially vulnerable students.
2. Students who have made significant partial payments.
3. Students with historic debt but confirmed bursary support.
4. Students with secured funding for 2025.

But what about those who do not fit neatly into these categories? What about the “missing middle” students—those whose families earn too much to qualify for NSFAS but too little to afford tuition? For these students, failure to secure funding means facing a difficult choice: accept the Vice Chancellor’s offer of a leave of absence and a bus ticket home by March 7th or face eviction from campus residences.

This crisis affects not only students currently facing fee blocks but also every student who relies on financial aid. The experience of waiting anxiously for funding approvals, hoping for one acceptance letter to cover tuition or accommodation, is an annual reality. For many, the last hope becomes commuting from Khayelitsha for an 8am lecture—an exhausting, unsustainable solution.

Firsthand Impact

I have never personally faced financial exclusion, a fee block, or accommodation issues. But I have seen their devastating impact. A cousin had to drop out because NSFAS denied her funding, preventing her from progressing in her studies. My sister once stayed at a Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) campus, hoping to secure accommodation, and now struggles to top up her rent because NSFAS does not fully cover her housing costs.

We say “no student should be left behind,” yet many are left out across the country.

A Call for Sustainable Solutions

This issue isn’t just about the protests we see today, but about ensuring that future generations of students have equal opportunities to access education. Issues such as inefficiency within NSFAS must be addressed, and solutions should go beyond temporary fixes. The higher education system needs sustainable, long-term interventions.

Students are both optimists and realists. We hold onto the hope of free education, as outlined in the Freedom Charter and reaffirmed by former President Jacob Zuma’s promise of free education for 90% of the population. But we are also realists. We recognize South Africa’s economic challenges and ask universities to fulfil their mandate as public institutions—to serve the public. This means taking into account the financial hardships of economically disadvantaged students who struggle to bridge the gap between NSFAS funding and the actual costs of tuition and accommodation.

The Structural Problem: Declining State Funding

Ouma and Cloete (2008) have analysed the rapid increase in tuition fees at higher education institutions. Their research highlights a critical issue: a decline in state funding. Government subsidies for universities do not go towards operational costs, unlike NSFAS funding (Ouma & Cloete, 2008: 908). As public institutions become increasingly reliant on external funding, they are forced to find alternative revenue streams. Tuition fees have become the primary means of cost recovery and revenue generation (Ouma & Cloete, 2008: 910).

Instead of addressing the core issue—the decline in state funding—universities have responded by raising tuition fees, further marginalizing Black students who cannot afford the cost. The government, in turn, has expressed concerns about tuition increases as NSFAS funding struggles to meet the growing demand. This back-and-forth between universities and the government leaves students to bear the impact of these decisions.

The Way Forward

A sustainable solution must be found. This includes:

• Increasing government subsidies for higher education institutions.
  • Reducing tuition fees to align with NSFAS funding limits.
  • Addressing inefficiencies within NSFAS to ensure fair and effective distribution of funds.

At the heart of this issue is a simple yet powerful idea: education should be accessible to all. Students are fighting not only for themselves but for future generations. Until long-term solutions are put in place, the calls for change will continue.

#NoStudentLeftBehind is more than a slogan—it’s a call for justice, equity, and the fulfilment of a constitutional promise.

 

 REFERENCES

African National Congress (1955) The Freedom Charter. Kliptown, South Africa.

Republic of South Africa. (1996). Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Section 29). Government Printer. 29.

Wangenge-Ouma, G. & Cloete, N. 2008. Financing higher education in South Africa: Public funding, non-government revenue and tuition fees. University of the Western Cape. 908-910.

By Asemahle Tshoni