Johannesburg – The Wits University student representative
council (SRC) launched an access campaign on Sunday, which aims to raise funds
for students who cannot afford tertiary education.
Wits SRC secretary general Fasiha Hassan told News24 that
they hoped to have raised R10m by the end of February for missing middle
students.
She said that, so far, they had received R2.6m from
corporate companies.
"We want to help the thousands of students that
don’t qualify for NSFAS funding, but they still can’t afford their tuition fees
- and we are calling everyone to come to the party, to help us reach that
goal," she said.
Meanwhile, the University of the Free State’s (UFS) SRC
members have already raised more than R1.2m for students who cannot afford
tuition fees this year.
SRC president Lindokuhle Ntuli said they had received
donations from students, lecturers, businesses and the community.
He said SRC members had pledged R500 from their own
pockets towards their Right to Learn campaign.
The fundraising started last year after the #FeesMustFall
campaign.
Ntuli said the money would be used to help needy students
with textbooks, food and tuition fees.
"Students... would have to approach the SRC offices
and sign an application form and then we will assist them with their
fees."
He said they hoped to reach R5m by April 4.
In October last year, university students across the country
embarked on nationwide protests against the rising cost of tertiary education.
Towards the end of that month, President Jacob Zuma
announced that university fees would not increase in 2016.
