By Magugu Xaba
A majority of institutions of higher learning in South Africa now require students to clear, or make a plan to pay installments towards their accumulated tuition, and sometimes accommodation, before proceeding with registration for the current academic year. Last week, the University of the Free State (UFS) was criticised for this regulation.
The universities` decision to phase out provisional registration has sparked a debate on whether this is fair, especially for students who are already struggling financially. Prior to spelling out my thoughts on this issue, it is crucial to consider the unacceptably high and continuously-surging unemployment rate South Africa is facing. Unemployment and poverty are some of South Africa`s most pressing issues, affecting millions of individuals nationwide.
This year, Statistics South Africa revealed that the youth unemployment rate in 2025 is currently sitting at 46,1%, which is undeniably alarming. It has therefore been difficult for students, especially those who are self-funded and those coming back for advanced and postgraduate studies, to pay their fees.
Data shows that tuition fees skyrocketed by 53% from 2010 to 2015, and from then, it has seen a steep incline. For a large number of students in South Africa, tuition is therefore covered by financial aid schemes such as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and other like bursaries. Sadly, not everyone has this privilege. Many students studying in the UFS are not funded or have been defunded by their bursaries and or NSFAS, which has put significant financial pressure on them.
“Let Them Eat Cake”
The university has since encouraged students to start saving for the upcoming academic year, before registration commences in 2026. This suggestion shook me. Saving enough money towards tuition is highly unlikely and can be considered a mammoth task, considering the high tuition costs and unemployment faced by both students and their parents or guardians. How does one save money from a zero-income household?
Four months is not nearly enough time to save up to pay for existing tuition debt and registration. This is an unrealistic expectation that students are expected to meet, and I believe it is a strategy for institutions to exclude financially-marginalised students from the academic system. For students who are from deprived and financially-constrained rural areas and the working-class in general, such a demand means excluding students from these areas without giving them a chance to prove themselves. Provisional registration generally gives them the opportunity to apply for funding and attend classes while sorting out their finances.
“As of 2026, students with a debt exceeding R20 000 will not be permitted to register.” This statement by the UFS sounds like punishment for the poor. Those with funding and upfront capital benefit while those from disadvantaged backgrounds, struggling to make ends meet, are left on the sidelines. Although many universities around South Africa have also had this regulation set in stone for many years, it is still ethically and morally concerning. Education should be accessible to everyone, and not a select few, as per the constitution.
UFS vs SRC
In response to the regulation, UFS students expressed their frustration by protesting at the university`s main campus in Bloemfontein, demanding that the regulation be reversed. This was a clear sign of desperation and frustration. Students are clearly seeking an opportunity to further their studies. This regulation will leave many of them unregistered for the year 2026, which can ultimately lead to them dropping out. The institution thereafter defended itself by stating that firstly, the previous Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) had agreed to officially phase out provisional registration. This means that the regulation is not a surprise to the SRC, and was discussed beforehand. Secondly, the institution emphasised that the accumulation of debt negatively affects not only the students, but the university as well. It claims that provisional registration is not an effective way to deal with the students` financial issues.
In my opinion these justifications are not substantive grounds for a blocking of provisional registration. My question is, if education is truly the key to success, is it fair for that same key to only be accessible to those already privileged? What about those who cannot afford the key? Do we simply exclude them because we have not yet found a solution for every student to be funded? This is a system that will delay unfunded students from completing their studies, contributing to the cycle of poverty and unemployment.
A Way Forward
That being said, this regulation needs to be reviewed. It is only right for everyone to have access to education, without being limited by the lack of funding. Students should be given the opportunity to complete their studies and pay off their debt, because education should be accessed through merit and hard work, not wealth. Instead of cancelling the provisional registration, universities (together with the government) can introduce flexible methods of payment or strengthen debt support and perhaps collection of funds once students are employed, in order to help other students. We cannot be a country that complains about unemployment and poverty yet approves regulations that will delay and compromise our future.
