Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela says there are 655 accommodation providers with outstanding claims for the 2024 academic year. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is in a serious financial situation, owing R48 million to over 600 accommodation service providers for the 2024 academic year. When DA MP Delmaine Christians questioned Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela about the number of landlords with unresolved claims, the information was revealed.
Christians asked about the total number of student accommodation providers or landlords that have valid outstanding claims that remained unpaid to date. According to Manamela, a total of 655 accommodation providers have valid claims pending due to discrepancies in the invoices submitted for the academic year 2024. In his response, Manamela detailed how the NSFAS has identified some discrepancies in the 2024 invoices, prompting requests for resubmissions.
“The resubmitted invoices have been validated and verified, and the total value of the claims is R48 million, with R18 million for the TVET college providers and R30 million for university providers,” he said. While these payments were originally scheduled for the end of last month, Manamela noted that the outstanding claims are currently undergoing validation and verification processes. “The outstanding claims are currently undergoing validation and verification processes.
[paywall]
Any valid claims for 2025 will be included in a mop-up payment scheduled for the end of November 2025.” The outstanding claims are currently undergoing validation and verification processes. Any valid claims for 2025 will be included in a mop-up payment scheduled for the end of November 2025. Christians queried about the long-awaited online platform for bed identification, accreditation, and grading of student accommodation sites. “What is the timeline for full rollout across all provinces, which institutions and/or service providers are already integrated, and what mechanisms have been put in place to audit the system for accuracy?” she asked.
[/paywall]
