Key Points
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Gauteng bursary students threaten protest over nonpayment.
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Delays in fees and allowances hurt academics and well-being.
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Students demand urgent action from GCRA and government.
More than 300 students receiving funding through the Gauteng City Region Academy (GCRA) bursary scheme say they are at breaking point after going nearly four months without their tuition fees or allowances.
Some say they are struggling to buy food, pay rent, and keep up with their studies.
Several students, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared harrowing stories of being unable to access academic results or submit assignments due to unpaid accounts.
One first-year student said, “There’s nothing worse than not knowing if you passed because your account is blocked. I can’t even tell how I’m doing.”
Others said they have been waiting for promised laptop allowances since February.
“How are we supposed to keep up with assignments when we can’t even afford the basics?” said another student. “We’re fed up and preparing to protest.”
Gauteng bursary students threaten protest over growing hardship
Some students say they are close to eviction, while others have had to borrow money or skip meals.
A second-year student said, “We’re depressed, hungry, and sleepless. Yet we’re expected to deliver top grades just to keep the funding.”
The root of the issue, according to the Gauteng Department of Education, lies in a mismatch between the academic calendar and the government’s financial year.
The government budget only becomes available from April 1, which delays disbursements to institutions.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga, said the government is in talks with universities to find a solution.
Some institutions offer advance payments for meals and materials, but others require upfront funding, creating inconsistent access to resources.
Government says funding delay tied to fiscal year mismatch
Mhaga acknowledged the impact of delayed payments and said negotiations are ongoing.
“We are engaging with universities to find common ground so students are not affected by the misalignment between the government financial year and the academic calendar.”
For now, students continue to wait, caught between bureaucratic timelines and academic pressure.
Many say they have lost hope and feel abandoned by the system that promised to support them.
As tensions mount, students are organizing to make their voices heard—and they’re demanding urgent change.
