Since the first #FeesMustfall protests in 2015, one of the most pressing issues within the fees conversation has been that of ‘the missing middle’ students.

These are students who have a family income of less than R600 000 per annum and often do not qualify for a loan from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) but cannot afford to pay university fees. NSFAS does not provide sufficient funding for the actual costs of tuition and accommodation.

Rhodes University offers NSFAS qualifying students ‘top up’ funding and provides loans to students whose family income exceeds the NSFAS ceiling but is less than R180 000 per annum, often referred to as ‘the missing middle’.

At Rhodes University as per their policy, the ‘missing middle’ students are not required to pay a Registration Fee. However, they are required to choose one of the following three payment options:

Option 1 

  • 35% of fees to have been paid by the end of March;
  • 60% of fees to have been paid by the end of June;
  • 85% of fees to have been paid by the end of September; and
  • The final amount by the end of November, resulting in 100% of fees paid.

Option 2

Students are to arrange payment of their portion of the fees by debit order with 11 monthly instalments from 1 February to 1 December.

Option 3

Students can make a direct deposit or internet transfer of their full portion due.
At the end of 2016, most universities announced a fee increment of 8% for 2017 education fees. The government will subsidise the fee adjustment so that all qualifying registered students, with gross family income up to R600 000 per annum, will pay 2015 rates in 2017. This subsidy will be in the form of a grant and not a loan.

In order for a student to qualify for the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) 2017 fee adjustment grant, they need to meet the following criteria:

Only applicants that are South African citizens with a permanent South African residency studying towards an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification in 2017 will be considered.

Applicants and direct family (mother, father, spouse or legal guardian) must have a gross combined family income up to R600 000 per annum.

The DHET Grant will only cover tuition fees and university managed accommodation (i.e. university residences) which includes operational leases for student accommodation between the university and a service provider.

Applicants that applied for NSFAS funding are not required to apply as they will automatically be considered for the grant.

All students who attended Quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools in Grade 12 will be automatically considered and will not be required to submit an application. Quintile refers to the five categories of South African schools based on the socio-economic status of the community in which the school is situated. Quintile 1 schools are the poorest while quintile 5 schools are the least poor.

Written by Cindy Fumbata