1. Seeing the past and taking hold of the future: A NSFAS perspective on learning experiences in financial aid Fiona Lewis Senior Manager: Loans and Bursaries

2. “In financial aid, we are just implementing the relationship between education and development - when you develop the individual, you develop the family” (Mr Khaya Matiso)

3. What have we contributed? How much funding has been administered? YearHow much? 2001 R 673 401 991.94 2002 R 789 686 040.07 2003 R 943 028 484.66 2004 R 1 006 866 115.86 2005 R 1 241 833 203.00 2006 R 1 403 847 331.90 2007 R 1 876 311 102.92 2008 R 2 522 394 130.49 2009 R 3 275 361 372.26 2010 R 3 781 331 555.28 A grand total of R17 514 061 328

4. What have we contributed? How many students have been assisted? Loan YearNo. of StudentsNo. new Students% growthNo of StudentsNo new Students All institutionsUniversity only 200180 51238 23980 51238 239 200286 14638 3157%86 14638 315 200396 55244 30012%96 55244 301 200498 80941 4162%98 73241 339 2005106 85043 8618%106 77243 847 2006108 41442 0271%108 29441 960 2007125 89757 83716%113 10745 159 2008153 78876 91122%117 76445 959 2009191 03597 70324%135 20256 184 2010210 57698 09910%148 38758 839 TOTALS810 036685 272

5. What success can we show? Of the 38 240 students whose first loan was in 2001: – 19 514 have dropped out, 17 045 have graduated, and 1680 are still studying – 11 987 students have settled their accounts – 16 674 are employed in the formal sector

6. What success can we show? Of the 38 316 students whose first loan was in 2002: – 18 909 have dropped out, 16 939 have graduated and 2468 are still studying – 10 410 have settled their accounts – 15 390 are employed in the formal sector

7. What success can we show? Of the 44 300 students whose first loan was in 2003: – 21 738 have dropped out, 18 633 have graduated and 3929 are still studying – 9 020 have settled their accounts – 15 704 have found employment in the formal sector

8. What success can we show? Of the 41 416 students whose first loan year was 2004: – 16 540 have graduated, 18 684 have dropped out and 6 192 are still studying – 6 641 have settled their accounts – 12 856 have found employment in the formal sector

9. What success can we show? Of the 43 861 students whose first loan year was in 2005, – 15 366 have graduated, 17 866 have dropped out and 10 629 are still studying – 4 904 have settled their accounts – 10 974 are employed in the formal sector

10. What success can we show? Of the 42 027 students whose first loan was in 2006, – 12 461 have graduated, 14 250 have dropped out and 15 316 are still studying – 2 969 have settled their accounts – 7 552 have found employment in the formal sector

11. What success can we show? Of the 57 836 students whose first loan was in 2007, – 38 679 are still studying, 7417 have graduated and 11 740 have dropped out – 16 533 have settled their accounts (also as a result of the increase in the number of bursaries in 2007) – 4 414 have found employment in the formal sector

12. What success can we show? Of the 76 911 students whose first loan year was in 2008, – 64 849 are still studying, 2942 have graduated, but 9 120 have dropped out – 1 614 are employed in the formal sector Of the 97 873 students whose first loan year was in 2009, – 91 412 are still studying, 1 430 have graduated, but 5 031 have dropped out – 944 are employed in the formal sector

13. But what about the failures? High numbers of students who have dropped out: – If this is correct, is this because of financial exclusion or other factors? – Are we doing enough to monitor and identify students at risk for dropping out? Significantly high numbers of students whose first loans were in the first half of the decade who are still studying? – Is this an indicator of poor reporting or students pursuing careers as students? – Are we doing enough to monitor and identify students who are struggling?

14. “universities should be judged on the quality of the student experience” (Prof Marcus Balintulo)

15. BUT, where is the student voice at a conference of this nature? Should we not be including students as strategic partners in furthering the achievement of our shared goals?

16. “there is a need to develop a deliberate intervention to resource the universities” (Prof Marcus Balintulo)

17. How do we do this? Resourcing – infrastructure, technology and people power – What is NSFAS’ role? – What is FAPSA’s role? Strengthening best practice – What is NSFAS’s role? What is FAPSA’s role? How do we support each other? Improving the dialogue between NSFAS and the universities and FETCs

18. “Sometimes as policy makers, we pronounce without looking at what will work” (Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize)

19. Funding plans for 2011/12: In brief Total value to be administered DBE – Funza LushakaR 449 440 000 DBE – Funza Lushaka EUR 11 000 000 DSD – Social WorkR 235 956 000 DHET – DisabilityR 60 000 000 DHET – FETR 1 235 244 000 DHET – GeneralR 2 456 358 000 DHET – TeacherR 96 206 000 DHET - NatSkillsR 150 000 000 DHET – Final YearR 751 826 000 Other fundsR 389 382 000 NEW FUNDING DHET – Historic DebtR200 000 000 DHET- Postgraduate FundingR50 000 000 REVISED TOTALR 6 044 412 000

20. “The tendency to throw money at all problems is not going to be effective – we need to know what we are going to do with the money” (Dr JJ Mbana)

21. Funding plans for 2011/12: In brief Circular Notices 2 and 4 – Final Year Programme National FAO Workshop 21 January and 10 March 2011 Circular Notice 7 – New funding programmes FET Circular Notice 1 – Report 191 and NCV National FET Workshop 11 February 2011 Planned Regional workshops in August (universities) and Sept/Oct (FETCs) Planned National FAO workshop in October

22. “the introduction of free education is a complex mandate” (Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize) In concluding,