DUT petition helps NSFAS debtors get documents

A petition by Durban University of Technology graduates blames the financial aid scheme for the university withholding the students qualifications.

Durban - A petition by Durban University of Technology graduates to force the financial aid scheme has borne fruits for more than 1 000 students who graduated - but had no documentation to show their credentials.

The online petition called “Hand over our certificates DUT” calls for the immediate release of their qualifications which are being withheld by the university due to their funds not being paid.

The students claim they have agreements with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and said failure to pay was not their fault.

One of the affected graduates, Siboniso Thusi, said the students were being unfairly punished.

“Potential employers are not willing to hire someone who cannot produce proof of their qualification. Since we owe fees to the institution we are not in possession of copies of our qualifications, and therefore cannot get employment. There are over 1 500 students who didn’t get their qualifications from DUT,” he said. The petition was accompanied by a campaign under the guise of ‘DUT insufficiently funded graduates’ - who date their frustrations with the university and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to as far back as 2013.

They owed the university tuition fees despite securing funding with the NSFAS, they said.

Some of the 1 000 students - who graduated in April - were among 5 000 graduates at the university this year but complained they were not issued with their diplomas or results statements despite the payment of fees not being their fault.

Last week, the university, NSFAS officials and the students met at the university and an agreement was reached that the funds would be paid to the university by next week and their results, subsequently to be released thereon.

DUT spokesman, Alan Khan, confirmed this in an e-mail last week, but failed to give further details on the agreement a week after queries by the Daily News were sent to the university.

“One of the main issues revolved around financial aid and outstanding student debt. Representatives from the NSFAS were also at the meeting. The meeting was held in a positive spirit and solutions were discussed and agreed upon with the affected students and graduates,” he said.

NSFAS spokesman, Kagisho Mamabolo, said the university would release the qualifications of qualifying students as soon as loan agreement forms were signed.

He said students students who qualified for funding were issued with SMSes from the financial aid scheme, but said money would never be paid unless a loan agreement form was signed to indicate acceptance of debt.

For those who were not receiving their SMSes, he said it was likely due to incomplete documentation and said those students would have to enquire with the financial aid office at their institution.

Daily News