Roughly half of UP’s students make use of financial aid, whether in the form of NSFAS, university-run or private bursaries, or student loans. Many of these aid schemes can be unreliable and leave students with outstanding debt to the university, which can lead to them being deregistered or having their results withheld.
The University of Pretoria offers student loans, bursaries, and scholarships as funding options. Student loans cover costs but must be repaid at a later stage. Bursaries or grants are financial awards that cover study costs and are usually awarded based on academic achievement alongside financial need. Scholarships are awarded mainly based on academic achievement. The majority of UP students are provided with these funding options by independent companies and banks, while UP funds about 5% of the total financial assistance used by students each year.
PDBY interviewed students about their experiences with UP’s financial and administrative processes. One student, who paid part of their university fees in monthly segments, reported that in spite of paying their monthly fee, it never reflected in their account. So when January 2026 came around, they were unable to register for their modules. When called, the administration office allegedly did not answer the phone, and the student had to go to the finance office three times before the problem was resolved. Thankfully, the student was able to persistently advocate for themselves, but if this had happened to a student living further away without the means to repeatedly visit the financial office for assistance, that student would likely end up unable to attend the semester.
Another second-year student told us about how after being rejected by NSFAS in her first year, she applied for funding from the university. After having to raise the money for registration and residence placement herself, she spent the entire first semester unfunded. After a few months, she was nearly kicked out of her UP residence when she still had not received funding. But once she communicated her situation to the university administration, they gave her more time to pay the fees. Eventually, a bursary from the university came through and the student’s courses, meals, and residence were covered through university funding. The student told us that they even offered to buy her a laptop. The student said that the university does help a lot, even if they take a while to come through.
The university has also recently increased its efforts to help students struggling with finances. According to eNCA, the University of Pretoria has recently launched a drive to raise R50 million to help graduates clear their student debt. If a graduate has outstanding debt to the university, they cannot collect their results or certificate, making it impossible for them to get a job. However, if the university forgives every debt without recompensation, it loses too much funding and will be unable to maintain its quality of education. UP has found a compromise by launching a campaign scheduled from 2026 until 2028 to raise money in order to clear the R1 billion of outstanding debt, blocking graduates from their hard earned degrees.
These are only a handful of accounts and instances, and there are certainly more experiences, good and bad, of UP students dealing with the university and financial aid. However, it is clear that the university is doing their utmost to help students cover their finances. But as more and more students apply for bursaries and financial aid, how long will the university be able to keep up with the task of managing student funds, delayed payments, and communication between students and financial providers while also ensuring enough funding to provide students with a sustainable, good quality of education?
Visual: Mila Jordaan
