UNISA DIVISION STUDENT FUNDING(DSF)

UNISA LICENCEES’ TRAINING WORKSHOP 18th November 2013

Presented By

Mr. IS Mabena

POINTS OF DISCUSION

• Defining DSF and its core function• Critical Internal Stakeholders • Number of grants administered in the last three

Academic years • DSF Application Process• New NSFAS Model

Division Student Funding

• DSF is a unit in Student Affairs within Registrar's portfolio

• Our Sister Units are:– Advocacy and Resource Centre for Student with

Disability (ARCSWiD)– Student Development– Information Services

• Have foot print at UNISA’s Regional Offices

DSF CORE FUNCTION

IS TO ADMINISTER ALL DONOR FUNDING FOR UNISA STUDENTS, by

– Identify gaps in terms students’ financial needs– Act as advisor on students’ financial support – Assist UNISA Foundation in developing criteria for

new funding schemes– Provide donors and UNISA Management with reports

on utilization of funds, students’ academic progress. – Act as liaison between students and their sponsors.

Important Internal Stakeholders

• UNISA Foundation - Source funding and liaise with Donors • Information and Communication Technology Department (ICT)

– Mass Process data starting from vetting to generations of reports to all interested stakeholders

• DSAR - Students’ registrations data• DSAA - Students’ academic results • Department of Finance - Receipting of payments and fee

statements• UNISA Regional offices – Offer front students’ services, such as,

Enquiries, accepting and processing of application forms and signing of grants acceptance forms

• All Academic Colleges – Ad hoc donors’ requests

STUDENTS’ GRANTS ADMINISTERED SINCE 2011 TO DATE

Academic Year

Loans Bursaries Total

number of Grants

Number Funding Schemes

2011 23,108 3,659 26,767 22

2012 34,133 12,368 46,501 26

2013 40,480 18,471 58,951 41

APPLICATION PROCESS

• SELECTION BY DSF

- Due to limited funds against total UNISA’s Student body no public awareness is created of existing funds except for NSFAS.

- Students details are drawn from the data base according to a fund criteria

• SELECTION BY DONOR

- A list of approved students is supplied to DSF by the donor

- DSF ensures students are registered

- DSF issue invoice or claim to a donor or incase of upfront payments DSF will reconcile the payment received against the receipts created.

NSFAS NEW CENTRAL APPLICATION SYSTEM

• The new NSFAS model entails:

- NSFAS Centrally administer its offering

- Students will apply only once

- Returning students do not have to re-apply for financial Aid but only a renewal form must be completed at a stipulated time.

- NSFAS Means test waived for Q1-3 learners and child grant recipients

- Allowances will be paid directly to students by NSFAS (textbooks allowance and other allowances as per donor’s directive)

UNIVERSITIES IN PILOT PHASE - 2014

• Durban University of Technology • Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University• Sol Plaatjie University• University of Cape Town • University of Mpumalanga • University of South Africa • University of Venda

Thank you