.png)
10 signatures reached
To: Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)
Tell DHET to do away with university application fee payments
We do not have the money for the university application fee, yet we are expected to pay it without a guarantee that we will get a place. Then, when we get rejected, we have to pull out our money again to reapply. It is not fair.
We, the undersigned students, parents, guardians, applicants, and concerned members of the public, call for a review of the current practice of retaining university application fees from applicants who are not admitted, and of the fact that university applications are not free for all. This excludes many learners and people from low-income backgrounds.
We demand that the DHET find ways to completely eliminate the university application for learners from non-fee-paying schools.
Alternatively, we call for:
- In the meantime, we demand a refund system for university application fees for applicants who are not admitted.
- Alternatively, develop a system that allows students to pay a one-off application fee for all universities. For example, if one pays a once-off fee of R100, they should be able to apply to all public universities.
Why is this important?
Every year, thousands of young South Africans apply to universities in the hope of pursuing higher education. Many applicants are encouraged to apply to several institutions because admission is not guaranteed, and available spaces are limited. For many families, however, every application fee represents money that could have been used for transport, food, school expenses or other essential needs.
We believe that students should not lose their money simply because a university cannot offer them admission.
It is important because students and their families can lose significant amounts of money even when the student was never admitted to the university.
We believe that students should not lose their money simply because a university cannot offer them admission.
It is important because students and their families can lose significant amounts of money even when the student was never admitted to the university.