Institutions of higher education have aligned the start of their 2021 academic year for first-year students with the availability of matric results.
The department of basic education is set to release the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results on February 22.
Minister Blade Nzimande said during a press briefing on Monday that some institutions were still finishing off the 2020 academic year while simultaneously preparing for the 2021 year.
Nzimande said the start of the higher education year would take place some time between “early March and mid-April”.
In the Eastern Cape, Walter Sisulu University plans to start the academic year on Monday March 8, and Fort Hare and Rhodes on Monday March 15, the Dispatch reported earlier.
Fort Hare and Walter Sisulu universities said their 2020 year, delayed by the lockdown, was still in progress.
Ndzimande said while the current focus was on completing the 2020 academic year, he would provide further information on plans for 2021 at a later stage.
He said these plans would be made known “following engagement with institutions and aligned with the release of the department of basic education NSC examination results”.
“It will be critical to ensure that the necessary health and safety protocols are in place for the registration period at universities and this will require clear and timely communication with returning and new students.”
Nzimande said at Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) colleges, students would return in a staggered timetable from January 25.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) recorded more than 750,000 applications for the 2021 academic year — a “significant” increase of 185,000 applications in 2020.
He said it was an indication of the high level of demand for funding support and access to higher education and training opportunities.
“Over 460,000 (or 61%) of the applicants are Sassa beneficiaries. The vast majority of applicants were able to apply using the online channel, with smaller numbers of students than in previous years using the NYDA offices to apply, a direct result of the Covid-19 lockdown regulations,” Nzimande said.
Competition for higher education placement was high, especially at universities, he added.
“Each university and TVET college has an enrolment plan and can only admit a specific number of students. Students who have applied to a university should be aware that they are given a specific time to respond and accept a space, before the space is offered to another student.
“Students should therefore act quickly and make a decision whether to accept the space or not if they are made an offer, to avoid the risk of losing the space. Given the high numbers of applications received for NSFAS, late funding applications will not be accepted in 2021,” he said.
Nzimande said NSFAS beneficiaries had continued to receive funding during the 2020 academic year.
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