FUNDING BATTLE: UCT SRC says it will take NSFAS to court over accommodation cap crisis

{JSON.stringify(article.attachments[0], null, 2)} --> University of Cape Town SRC says it will take NSFAS to court over the accommodation cap issue, which has left it in debt and has not been increased for years. Students gathered in numbers at the scheme’s offices and at Parliament to submit their memorandum of demands involving the accommodation issue.

On Thursday, 27 August 2026, students from the University of Cape Town gathered in numbers to protest against the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) accommodation cap of R55 000, which, according to the students, locks them out of university and leaves them in debt.

Speaking in front of the NSFAS offices at the Foreshore in Cape Town, the Student Representative Council (SRC) said it would take the scheme to court over the “inadequate” accommodation cap. Addressing the students, UCT’s SRC Secretary-General Takalani Makhwathana said students had been suffering over the cap, and they had been trying to communicate with NSFAS CFO Waseem Carrim, but had not received a response.

“ We are glad to announce that even if they don’t follow on these demands, UCT and UCT SRC are taking us to court over this issue,” said Makhwathana.

He added: “ We have sent emails, we’ve made phone calls, and still our cries went unanswered. It’s clear to us that NSFAS only listens with one weapon. This is an issue that affects NSFAS-funded students and self-funded students. The then acting CEO (Carrim) appeared before the Portfolio Committee of Higher Education. He downplayed the issue... he said that this issue is because the students, ‘they don’t know what they're getting themselves into’,” said Makhwathana.

Accepting the memorandum at the scheme’s office, Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim said he would ensure that the demands were taken to Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela and that students had the right to march against what they believed was unfair.

“I’ve asked the CEO to ensure that consultation must be non-negotiable; it must take place directly with the affected SRCs. You have a right to be angry... the main point here is that a student funded by NSFAS should not incur debt because they are not offered an accommodation that doesn’t produce debt. That one I agree with, but I want you to understand that I’m never going to lie to students. I’m not in charge of NSFAS; out of respect for you, I said I’m going to come and receive your memorandum, and I’m going to make sure that we forward it to the minister’s office,” said Cassim.

Meanwhile, NSFAS CFO Carrim also accepted the memorandum and said the students should expect a response within a week.

“We accept your memorandum. We will respond to you within one week of all of your demands here. Two, NSFAS introduced the accommodation cap in 2023; three years ago. We introduced the accommodation cap before I was here. But it was to control the amount of costs that we were being charged as NSFAS,” said Carrim.

Defending himself, Carrim said: “I was not the CEO when I addressed Parliament. But I don’t want to be mischaracterised by anybody here. Go and listen to what I said in Parliament.