Debt rockets to R3.9bn — and rising

STUDENTS at just 12 of South Africa’s 26 universities owe almost R3.9-billion in fees for this year.

Outstanding fees for this year include:

Tshwane University of Technology: R866.1-million, of which R350-million will be settled by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme;

University of Johannesburg: R635-million;

University of the Witwatersrand: R447-million;

North West University: R359-million;

University of Limpopo: R304.9-million;

Durban University of Technology: R296-million;

University of Cape Town: R241.9-million;

University of Stellenbosch: R230-million;

University of the Western Cape: R170-million;

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University: R152-million;

Cape Peninsula University of Technology: R108-million; and

Rhodes University: R64-million.

The vice-chancellor of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Dr Prins Nevhutalu, said an analysis of student debt in April indicated that more than 800 students each owed the institution R70 000 and more, including some who owed asmuch as R150 000.

The University of Johannesburg has handed over the accounts of 4 056 students to attorneys for collection.

At least nine universities wrote off R149-million in fees as bad debt last year.

Peter Grant, UCT’s chief accountant in the financial accounting department, said the university had seen a decline in real terms in its budget allocation from the state and therefore could eventually face “increasing fees at rates above inflation to make up for the decline in state funding”.—