Thousands of South African students who qualify for tertiary education are being excluded due to funding shortfalls, an educational institute warns.
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As South Africa awaits the national budget, concerns are growing that a widening “student funding gap” is preventing thousands of qualified young people from accessing higher education, with potential long-term consequences for economic growth and social stability.
Private higher education provider Cornerstone Institute says the country’s public universities remain oversubscribed, leaving many matriculants who qualify for further study without a place. Those who are unable to secure admission have limited alternatives, as there is little or no state funding available for students who wish to enrol at accredited private institutions, even where capacity exists.
“Every year we see talented, motivated young people who have done everything right – they’ve passed, have the credentials to be accepted – but they simply can’t pay,” said Basier Dramat, CEO at Cornerstone Institute. “Public universities are full, and our funding architecture effectively tells them: if you can’t afford to pay for a private education, that’s where your story ends.”
The organisation argues that the mismatch between demand for higher education and available funding has become a structural risk, potentially excluding capable students from the skills pipeline at a time when the economy requires more qualified graduates.
It is calling for a partnership-based funding approach that would allow public funding to follow students to accredited private institutions that meet agreed quality and throughput standards. It also proposes blended funding models that combine public resources with contributions from business, philanthropy and employer bursaries to support students who fall outside existing funding criteria.
“We would like to see more creative funding models which support high quality teaching and learning and relevant work ready skills. In this way we can support our youth to access education opportunities that will positively impact their future prospects,” Dramat said.
He added that excluding private providers from the funding framework limits the system’s overall capacity.
“If credible private institutions can take a student public universities can’t, and produce a graduate the economy needs, excluding that option seems to be a luxury South Africa cannot afford,” he said.
“Closing the student funding gap will take careful thought and planning,” Dramat said. “It could be the difference between a generation that steps into its potential and one that watches from the sidelines. This budget is an opportunity to signal that we take that choice seriously.”