The South African Student Solidarity Foundation for Education (SASSFE) congratulates the Class of 2025 on achieving a historic National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate of 88%, the highest in the history of South Africa’s matric examinations. This milestone reflects the determination, resilience, and hard work of learners, educators, parents, and communities across the country, a triumph that must be celebrated by all South Africans.

 

SASSFE remains concerned that strong matric outcomes do not translate into equitable access to higher education. Each year, thousands of academically deserving learners encounter systemic barriers as they seek to transition into the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system, due to limited institutional capacity, financial exclusions, accommodation shortages, and insufficient student support systems.

 

SASSFE recognises the important role played by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in widening access to the PSET system, particularly for students from poor and working-class households. NSFAS bursaries remain a cornerstone of South Africa’s higher education funding system and have enabled millions of students to access learning opportunities that would have otherwise been out of reach. At the same time, recent evidence points to persistent gaps in funding for the so-called “missing middle,”  students from households earning above the bursary threshold but who still cannot afford the cost of higher education. Despite NSFAS having R3.8 billion available for missing-middle loans, uptake has been low, with just over 26,000 students applying, reflecting widespread fear of debt, limited awareness of the loan scheme, and concerns about long-term affordability. This highlights the need for stronger communication, more flexible funding instruments, and a broader national conversation on sustainable models for financing higher education.

 

In this context, SASSFE calls on the higher education sector, including government, public institutions, and social partners, to intensify efforts to:

• Expand placement capacity and alternative pathways for qualifying learners.
• Strengthen, scale-up, and refine student funding models, including bursaries, zero-interest loans, and hybrid instruments that respond to diverse student realities.
• Improve student retention and completion, particularly for new and returning students who face financial and academic vulnerabilities.

Address structural barriers such as accommodation, transport, safety, hunger on campuses and digital access that continue to undermine equitable participation.