DA calls on UJ to investigate claims of privately-owned student accommodation charging top-up fees

Issued by Crezane Bosch MPL – DA Gauteng Universities Constituency Head
29 Oct 2019 in Press Statements

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng and its Students Organisation (DASO) is calling on the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to investigate the allegations of privately-owned student accommodation charging ‘top-up’ fees to students.

It is alleged that students who are receiving financial assistance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and residing at privately-owned UJ accredited  student accommodation are charged ‘top-up’ fees of between R500 to R1000 per month for transport and rental. Some of these privately-owned student accommodation facilities used by NSFAS-funded students can accommodate up to 500 students in one facility, which results in an additional R250 000 per month in additional funding charged from the poorest-of-poor students within our society.

If these allegations prove true, it is unacceptable for students to be charged these ‘top-up’ fees.

The policy agreement between UJ and service providers in sub-section 23.8 of the policy states that “the Finance Department is responsible for the financial administration of payments to the Subscribing Service Provider.”

Furthermore, the policy in sub-section 21.3 also states that “An SSP must provide reliable transport running to and from the relevant campus at regular intervals from 06h00 to 22h00 in areas where the distance of the accommodation from a campus exceeds 2km.”

It was agreed that the university will accept further complaints and proof of payments to these privately-owned accommodation facilities to assist them with the investigation. We therefore call on all students at the University of Johannesburg to come forward and contact the Democratic Alliance Student’s Organisation on Campus and provide us with information that could assist with the investigation.

We will continue to put pressure on the university to investigate this matter and apply pressure to these privately owned accommodation facilities to refund the students accordingly.

Our already cash-strapped students cannot be subjected to extra rental and transport costs whilst there is a policy in place that indicates that no student should pay additional fees.