In a bid to fight financial exclusion, the Financial Aid unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) recently hosted the 2024 NSFAS Disability Roadshow campaign to educate and create awareness to students with disabilities about matters concerning their funder, which is the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), at the Ritson campus in Durban.

Absolom Manashe: Financial Aid Unit Manager at DUT welcomed and thanked all the guests who attended the event. He also shared the purpose of the Roadshow, which was to assist and educate students on the NSFAS guidelines and the rules for the funding. The Financial Aid unit support over 23000 DUT students with appropriate academic support and create a fair learning environment for them.

“We are here to educate and highlight the benefits for students funded by NSFAS. The benefits come with responsibilities and requirements from the students side. We thought it was important to give NSFAS officials an opportunity to address the students regarding NSFAS side of things, so that when we come in as an institution, we are able to outline what they have provided, with the internal process that needs to be followed by the institution for you to get your due benefits as a student,” said Manashe.

Explaining the NSFAS financial eligibility was Nomalizo Sixholo from NSFAS Disability Unit who outlined some of the processes that needed to be followed by NSFAS, in verifying the eligibility of each applicant.

“NSFAS provides disability funding for all disabilities. Our guidelines this year are not sort of expressive in disabilities being permanent, so that means if you have a temporary disability, currently we do not fund you, however, every permanent disability is funded by NSFAS. By a permanent disability, we mean that a student has an impairment which is at least 12 months. For you to be funded under NSFAS disability, we requires a student to submit a disability annexture with a detailed medical report from a professional registered with Health Professional Council of South Africa,” she said.

Disability Right Unit Admin Assistant, Thabo Sikhakhane highlighted the process to apply for the human support and assistive devices.

“If a student that is living with a disability is funded by NSFAS, that student needs to state that they live with the disability because he/she requires a different package from an NSFAS general student. However, in order to qualify for that package a student needs to submit an annexure document that is found on the NSFAS website. The annexure document needs to be filled in with correct personal details of a student, and contain a doctor or a health practitioners stamp confirming that the student is indeed disabled or living with a chronic illness. The doctor’s letter has to be attached with the annexure document, then submitted to the Financial Aid Offices from there to the Disability Right Unit. From there it will be submitted to the NSFAS Head Offices where they will do a conversion of funding. After the funding has been converted then the student will start to qualify for the Disability NSFAS funding package,” said Sikhakhane

Unpacking the academic eligibility was Zandile Ngubelanga : Financial Aid Counsellor at DUT who emphasised the importance of obtaining good grades, as it is one of the NSFAS conditions.

“Both new and returning students are required to pass with 60% upwards to secure their funding. NSFAS only funds qualifications that are approved by Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET),” she advised.

Pictured: Financial Aid Counsellor at DUT, Zandile Ngubelanga addressing students at the NSFAS Disability Road Show.

Photographer: Mnqobi Ngobese.

Thubelihle Dumakude