The Head of Communications at Wits University, Sharona Patel, has rejected claims that the institution is refusing to assist students with funds meant for those in need of financial assistance.
“Wits University administers over one billion rand in financial aid scholarships and bursaries every year. These includes its own funds, as well as external sources, financial aid institutions, and individual and corporate donors,” says Patel.
Her remarks are in response to allegations from some SRC members that the institution continues to exclude financially distressed students despite claiming otherwise.
“You look at the issues of academic exclusion; students have been sent home through WRC and the reasoning the university have is that the university has a lot of support that it brings towards the students, but the support is limited, and it is really not addressing student’s individual socio-economic backgrounds,” Student Development and Support leader, Nozibusiso Mbatha, has told YNews.
Patel says the SRC members are unhappy over the criteria the university uses to assist.
“We are committed to helping students who are starting out their first degrees,” she says. “The discrepancy with the SRC comes in where they want us to fund students who are entering their second or third degrees and we feel that we should give preference to students who are coming in at the first-year level.”
Patel says the issue has, however, been resolved and they are now gearing toward ensuring funding to as many economically disadvantaged students as possible.
“This was a misunderstanding which was cleared up between the SRC and management as far as I know and we are now working together to ensure that as many students have access to higher education and can register,” she explains.
Patel says they are in collaboration with the SRC to ensure safe student funding.
“The University is working with the SRC on their fundraising campaign to ensure as many students have access to higher education as possible. The university has established the Wits Hardship Fund. This is a dedicated fund for students who require emergency accommodation or funds to register so that they can be registered at the beginning of each year,” adds the Wits Communications Head.
Patel says the SRC is given representation within the institution’s decision-making committee on how to allocate funds for its students.
She says this year the university is pushing to make space for a capacity of 6 500 students.
Patel says the university accepts new entering students on merit basis and then makes the offer available for three days.
“If the student does not take up an offer in a particular programme, we then make an offer to students who then have three days in which to take up an offer. If the student does not take up an offer in a particular programme, we then move on to the next batch of students so that they can then register.”
“We do so every three days to ensure that as many students can enrol and have an opportunity to register,” she adds. Written by Odirile Rabolao
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