A Bloemfontein-based technical and vocational education and training college will once again be in the spotlight following an alleged unspent student fund running into millions. The Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) is set to hold a protest at Motheo College in Bloemfontein. F4SD's student movement leader Nhongo Solo alleges that over R38 million meant to aid and assist needy students at the college was unspent.

Solo said the protest will be held on Thursday (19/10) at 10:00. OFM News previously reported the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, said the college agreed to reimburse the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) with approximately R38,686,477.10, which is unallocated funds from 2017 to 2022.

The money remained in the institution's control for a year before it was scheduled to be returned to NSFAS.

The SIU has signed an Acknowledgment of Debt agreement with the Motheo TVET College in the Free State relating to the SIU's NSFAS investigation. Motheo TVET College has agreed to a monthly installment of R855 679,91 over 60 months.  

The SIU encourages other institutions of higher learning to come forward and pay back unallocated funds due to NSFAS. The SIU has so far recovered over R421,3 million from institutions of higher learning,” Kganyago said

The SIU's preliminary investigation has revealed that more than R5 billion of NSFAS money was possibly allocated to students who did not qualify to be funded.

OFM News