A variety of loan and bursary options are available to deserving students who have been accepted into their first year at CPUT.

The most popular choice is the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) which is a government body that allocates a set amount of money toward a student’s individual tertiary education needs.

The repayable loan has already assisted thousands of students nationwide to gain access to higher education. It also incentivizes students to perform well academically by offering to wipe 40% of the amount owed if they continuously score well.

NSFAS loans are repayable once a student starts earning a salary.

Students who have been accepted to CPUT as first time, first-year students for 2014 can apply for financial aid up to the last working day of February. All applications are managed and processed by the Financial Aid office at CPUT.

CPUT also offers merit bursaries to students who scored an A-aggregate in their matric exams

Applicants must be South African citizens, have a very good academic record, should be assessed as financially needy and have to make a family contribution towards their studies. The size of awards varies according to individual needs.

Additionally most commercial banks, including Eduloan - similar to a bank loan, have affordable student loan options available.

Finally a number of external companies, clubs, churches etc offer financial assistance to needy students.

Check https://www.cput.ac.za/study/funding/undergraduate for more information on financial aid and funding.

Written by Lauren Kansley

Tel: +27 21 953 8646
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

CPUT will continue to remain the most reasonably priced higher education institution in the Western Cape.

After consulting with student representative leaders, the CPUT Council has decided to increase tuition fees for 2013 by an 8%.  Fees for residence accommodation will increase by 10%.

Despite the increase in tuition and residence fees, the university remains one of the most affordable in South Africa and the cheapest in the Western Cape.

The CPUT Council is also committed to acting in the best interest of current and prospective students and as a result has decided to not increase the upfront payment for the 2013 academic year.

Day students will have to make an upfront payment of R 3 500, while those staying at one of CPUT’s residence’s will be required to make an upfront payment of R 5 000 (R3 500 for tuition + R1 500 for residence).

The university will also not exclude any academically competent but financially needy students. However, students who require assistance must follow the institution’s normal Credit Management processes as set out in the university’s policy.

Financially needy students are also advised to apply for Financial Aid, which includes a range of bursaries as well as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).   In all instances of funding, students must meet the criteria that are set by the relevant bursary fund or NSFAS.

These funding mechanisms have proved to be a huge success in helping financially needy students to achieve their academic goals.

During the last four years, CPUT together with NSFAS has more than doubled financial support to financially needy students.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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The Irish Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister for Health, Ms Mary Harney, visited the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to hold discussions with Vice-Chancellor Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga and meet some beneficiaries of their bursary programme.

Apart from the discussions with Prof Mazwi-Tanga, who is also chairperson of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) NSFAS, Ms Harney’s five-day visit to South Africa also included the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day with Irish communities in Pretoria and Cape Town.

She also participated in other events linked to trade, investment and tourism. While in Cape Town, she visited a number of projects funded through Irish Aid’s development programme in South Africa. Needy students at the CPUT and other institutions of higher learning have benefited from the Irish Aid-funded bursary support programme administered by the NSFAS.

Addressing students and staff during her visit, Ms Harney said education was a passport to decent living. She mentioned that her government has already sponsored 2650 needy students.

Prof Mazwi-Tanga accompanied Ms Harney to the Dome of Remembrance and explained to her that it is a place where on an annual basis a ceremony is held for those students and staff that have passed on. She said the families of those who have passed on get invited for the ceremony. “It has a particular signifi cance to us as a family at CPUT,” said Prof Mazwi-Tanga.

Mr Luvo Makhasi, an attorney at Hofmeyer Attorneys, appreciated the support they have received as students from the programme. He said the funding and book allowance they received made studying easy for them.

Meliza Abrahams, a second year medical student thanked Ms Harvey for what her government has done for them. “In matric you always worry about how you are going to further your studies, but after getting the bursary I received all the support I needed. “They give you all the advice and assistance. If I need a stethoscope or book I can just call them,” said Meliza.

Written by CPUT News
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CPUT and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has more than doubled financial support to financially needy students over the last four years.

In a bid to help poor students access higher education, the institution made 9 044 financial aid awards to the tune of R105 683 258 in 2008 compared to 2011’s awards valued at R228 687 030.

Awards to students with disabilities also increased from R591 491 in 2009 to R2 748 000 last year.

Graham Renecke from the Financial Aid Office says these figures prove we are doing something right.

Last year 526 students who could not continue to the next year because of an outstanding debt were granted a reprieve by the institution and allowed to enroll for the following year.

Despite the huge demand for funding Renecke says that of this year’s R53 million NSFAS allocation the university is left with a whopping R32 million.

 “The reason for this slow uptake is that students don’t submit their loan agreement forms,” he said. 

He urged students to sign the documents and submit them to the university as early as possible in order for the financial aid office to claim the money from NSFAS.

The university awards financial aid to students who are academically competent but financially needy based on the NSFAS criteria, the National Credit Act as well as the university’s policy.

NSFAS financial aid consists of bursaries and study loans, a portion of which is paid back on completion of your studies and the start of work.

For more information about NSFAS funding call 021 460 3918 or 021 959 6371.

By Kwanele Butana

Written by CPUT News
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The day before he graduated as a Doctor of Engineering: Chemical, Dr Lukhanyo Mekuto was in Bloemfontein to receive a Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers from the National Research Foundation (NRF).

Originally from Brown’s Farm, Philippi, Mekuto (28) is the only child of a domestic worker and the first one in his family to not only get postgraduate, but also undergraduate degrees. He also has the distinction of being one of the youngest doctoral graduates CPUT has produced.

He arrived at university in 2008 and obtained his BTech in Biotechnology in 2011. He went on to complete his MTech cum laude in 2014. He obtained his postgraduate degrees in record time too, completing his master’s degree in 18 months and his doctorate in two and a half years.

His advice to those who, like him, want to excel in whatever field they choose, is to determine who they are and what they want. “Distinguish yourself from others. The mistake we in the township make is that we want to go with the crowd. I decided in grade 10 that I was not going to do that anymore.

“I tell learners, ‘Define who you are and what you want. Once you’ve done that you have to make a conscious decision to go after what it is that you want,’” explains Mekuto, who on weekends tutors children from his area in maths and physics.

According to Mekuto, the number one excuse people give for not reaching their potential is a lack of funds. “I have come through the NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) system. NSFAS paid for my BTech up to my PhD, so in my view no funding is no excuse.”

His research revolved around the biological treatment of industrial wastewater generated by gold mines. His interest was piqued when he read about cattle deaths in KwaZulu-Natal due to cyanide poisoning in 2012. The cyanide came from their water, which was contaminated by mining activities in the area. Mekuto investigated the use of micro-organism to break up the cyanide into its component elements.

Written by Abigail Calata

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is calling on all prospective and returning students who have not yet applied for 2019 financial aid to do so by November 30. 

Applicants can submit their applications online at www.nsfas.org.za . They can also visit their nearest National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) centre for support with their application.

NSFAS has indicated that there will be no extended window period for 2019 applications and no applications will be accepted after the 30 November deadline.

The application process takes only five minutes to complete and requires only a copy of the Identification Document (ID) of the applicant and their parents, payslips of both parents, if parents earn an income and a consent form to give the Scheme permission to verify income. Those whose parents are not working are only required to submit a signed consent form.

Continuing students who are funded by NSFAS this year will be contacted by NSFAS to sign their agreements online, if they have not done so already. They are not required to reapply as funding will automatically continue in 2019, if they meet the progression rule of a 50% pass.

Written by CPUT News
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