We hear regularly about the number of young South Africans who are neither working nor studying. More than 3 million of our young people are not in employment, education or training.

In recent years there has been a substantial increase in opportunities for youth to study at higher and further education levels. Not only has the number of places at universities and colleges increased, but financial access has been boosted by the expansion of the funds provided by the State through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

NSFAS administers government funding in the form of loans and bursaries to eligible South African students enrolled at public Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges and universities nationwide. The beneficiaries are young people who would otherwise not be able to afford to study.

The opportunities created by NSFAS for young South Africans to gain an education has grown substantially in recent years - from R441 million in 1999 to over R4 billion in 2011. NSFAS has assisted three quarters of a million young people to study, many of whom now have successful careers. In 2010 alone, over 200 000 students received NSFAS financial aid.

With the growing disparity between youth who remain unemployed due to a lack of skills and the shortage of scarce skills among the South African workforce, NSFAS encourages young South Africans to consider careers in industries which have a shortage of workers, such as teaching, social work and engineering. Special bursaries are available in these areas of study. In addition, the National Skills Fund has allocated over R93 million in funding for students studying in scarce skills fields.

NSFAS offers bursaries for eligible students studying towards the National Certificate (Vocational) and Report 191 (NATED) programmes at any public FET College in South Africa. These courses provide hands-on training in specific trades, such as business administration and finance, engineering, hospitality and tourism, IT, and policing and security.

NSFAS is also introducing a new loan to help students to pay off debts they owe to universities. During his annual Budget Vote Speech, the Minister of Higher Education & Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, announced plans to change the way NSFAS calculates interest on student loans. In the past, NSFAS charged interest on loans throughout the period in which the student was still studying.

In future NSFAS will not start charging interest on student loans until 12 months after a student has graduated or left university. This will apply to all the NSFAS loans to students registered on 1 April 2011 and beyond.

With the focus on South Africa’s youth during June, NSFAS encourages learners to make the most of the opportunities available. Learners should use their 2011 Grade 12 June results for study in 2012 and should apply for both a course of study and financial assistance on the university or FET campus where they intend to enrol.

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