Dept to compensate for 0% varsity fee hike
The Department of Higher Education and Training has revealed that the R2.3-billion needed to accommodate the 0% fee hike next year will come from its budget.
It will not approach National Treasury for help.
Department officials have told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education - as well as the legislature’s appropriations committee that the shortfall will be met by dipping into the development grant for historically disadvantaged institutions, as well as the National Skills Fund.
Opposition parties do not believe that shifting money from other critical budgets is the right way to keep universities afloat.
While they also point out that this is a temporary fix that does not deal with the longer term questions on how poor students who qualify for universities can be assisted, government agrees saying that it needs significantly more money to fund all higher education institutions.
Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande was due to appear in parliament to answer questions on the matter yesterday but was unable to attend as he was out of the country at a United Nations conference.
(File photo)