CUT Moves to Pay Student Allowances After Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim's Intervention
Giving direction and a way forward, the Deputy Minister requested that there should be no further delays and read out the NSFAS letter authorising payments directly to affected students.
The Central University of Technology (CUT) has committed to begin paying accommodation allowances directly to the 1392 affected students at the Welkom Campus, with the administrative process starting immediately.
Many students still have outstanding allowances despite the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) assurances that the issue would be resolved.
The new commitment follows yesterday’s visit by Deputy Minister for Higher Education and Training, Yusuf Cassim, to CUT’s Welkom Campus, where he met affected students and management. Deputy Minister Cassim stressed the urgency of the situation and emphasised that it was concerning for students to face eviction due to these continuous delays.
About 1 392 students at Welkom are in unaccredited accommodation and have gone without allowances since the beginning of the year. Deputy Minister Cassim then raised the CUT issue with NSFAS Administrator Prof. Hlengani Mathebula during a meeting on 14 July 2026 in Cape Town. Subsequently, a delegation visited CUT to assess the situation, and a payment plan was agreed and communicated.
However, students have since been subjected to further bureaucratic processes, resulting in only 260 confirmed allowance payments and leaving most students in an impossible position.
Giving direction and a way forward, the Deputy Minister requested that there should be no further delays and read out the NSFAS letter authorising payments directly to affected students.
“What the letter says: ‘NSFAS hereby approves the requested deviation for the 2026 academic year only, allowing affected students to remain in accommodation and receive an accommodation allowance of R2 500 per student per month.’ The allowance is payable to the students, as per NSFAS’s deviation approval letter.
The letter further directs the institution to continue ensuring that students in both credited and unaccredited accommodation reside in conditions that are conducive to academic success,” said Deputy Minister Cassim.
The Deputy Minister urged the institution to pay the allowances directly, as it already holds the relevant student data and banking details. This is the most efficient approach, added Deputy Minister Cassim.
The vice-chancellor committed to ensuring the allowances are paid directly to students as quickly as possible.
Further, students at the Bloemfontein campus reported concerns about accredited accommodation in poor condition, with some located near nightlife and drinking establishments.
The Deputy Minister requested that these matters be included in a report on the suitability and quality of accredited student accommodation to be sent to his office and the student accommodation section of NSFAS for further investigation.
Cassim called on the SRCs of both campuses to build constructive relations with the CUT management so that they can work together to resolve institutional matters.
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