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2 Jan 2013

1. SA University enrolments have increased from 495 356 in 1994 to 937 455 in 2011.
2. The department will provide R6 billion to universities from 2012-2015 for Infrastructure projects (R6,6 billion in 2007/11).

• Universities to match this new investment with R2 billion
• Bulk of the funding going to historically disadvantaged Institutions for accommodation and historical backlogs
• 9000 new beds in student accommodation in the next 3 years
• Infrastructure includes improving disability access
• Funding towards Engineering, Health Sciences, Life and Physical Sciences, Teacher Education, Humanities and Social Sciences.

3. National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) expanding access to higher education

• Allocation to University and FET Colleges has increased from R2,375 billion in 2008 to R7 billion in 2012
• 991 759 student-beneficiaries of R25 billion in loans and bursaries between 1991 and 2011
• 28 464 students assisted through NSFAS final year programme; 16 906 graduated with loans converted to full bursaries in 2011

4. Infrastructure allocations

Upgrading and new construction: R1, 114,195 billion to Historically Disadvantaged Universities/Campuses:

• Student housing: R1 412,638 million to HD Universities
• Student housing: R239,136 million to Historically Advantaged Universities
• Engineering: R509,079 million to meet scarce skills needs
• Teacher Education: R662,460 million to meet scarce skills needs
• Life and Physical Sciences: R546,721 million to meet scarce skills needs
• Health Sciences: R442, 519 million to meet scarce skills needs.
• Cooperative Projects: R114,500 million partnerships with HDIs:
• Development of African Languages, Humanities and the Social Sciences: R311,654 million
• Disability Units: R123,835 million upgrading and new infrastructure
• Research infrastructure: R74, 053 million well founded laboratories.
• Project management support: R55 million

5. Improvements in teacher education include:

• Teacher graduates increased from under 6000 in 2008 to 10 300 in 2011
• National service-linked bursary scheme for teacher education students (Funza Lushaka) and earmarked NSFAS loans
• 4 new teacher education campuses to be opened in Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. First  one to be opened: January 2013 (Siyabuswa)
• between 2009-2012 universities involved in foundation phase teacher training increased from 13 to 20
• Students in Teacher Education increased from 9672 to 14 401 between 2009-2012

6. Student housing

• Allocation to HDI for student accommodation amounts to R1,4million
• R239,136 million to Historically Advantaged Universities
• PIC and DBSA in discussions with 12 universities about funding to augment government funding
• Norms and standards to be gazetted before 31 March 2013
• Student accommodation to have bias towards 1st Year students

7. FET Colleges

• A total of 100 000 new spaces across all FET Colleges for 2013.
• FET College intervention initiated to improve programme delivery, performance and efficiency
• Task Team finalizing report on the review of NC (V) qualifications
• FET Colleges Turnaround Strategy being implemented
• Qualified CFOs from SAIC deployed in FET Colleges
• Development of the College Council Chamber
• FET College Improvement Project in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape

8. Expansion of the College sector and improving Quality

• Funded programmes enrolment increased by 34% in 2012
• Bursaries to students increased from R100m in 2007 to R1,7billion in 2012
• 237 908 bursary beneficiaries between 2009 and 2011
• Enrolments increase to more than 650 000 in 2011
• Over 49 000 students in Report 191 programmes (N-Courses)
• Re-introduction of N4-N6 for Colleges - towards a National Diploma
• CFOs from SAICA deployed in 40 Colleges

9. Higher Education and Training Funding for Skills Development

• Increased funding allocations for Further and Higher Education:
  • R2,5billion allocation towards FET Colleges Expansion and Capacity Building Development Programme
  • R404 million for expansion of MBCHB and Veterinary Sciences Programmes at UP
  • Plan to fund SA Renewable Energy Training Centre with projected establishment cost of R78,8million; R8,38million operational budget over 3 years
  • R212million for Universities to provide on-the-job training
• SETA Management improvements for better performance
  • Offices opened in FET Colleges to provide access to SETAs for beneficiaries
  • New SETA grant regulations published in Government Gazette
• Learnerships
  • 2011/12: 16 180 Workers vs 12 736 Target; 26 523 Unemployed vs 15 253 Target
  • Quarter 2, 2012/13 FY: 10 704 Workers  and 14 425 Unemployed entered into Programmes
• National Artisan Development Recognition of Prior Learning framework currently being implemented.

Issued by: Department of Higher Education and Training
2 Jan 2013

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