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Welcome to
Special Cases Support
Introduction
Special Cases Committees are set up on each Campus to assist academically deserving students who are unable to register due to financial reasons. MIPs will be waived for students approved by the Special Cases Committee subject to the quota approved by Council.
The University strives to strike a balance between financial exclusion of students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds and protecting the financial viability of the University through limiting increase in student debt.
The University does not have means and resources to assist all students that require financial assistance and therefore has set a quota of the number of students to be assisted through special cases, which is approved by Council.
Special cases clearance and registration is not an exemption from paying fees due to the University and therefore a condition for special cases registration is a commitment (signed payment agreement) to pay the outstanding fees by the end of the academic year. The University reserves the right to enforce the payment of fees as per the payment agreement. This will assist in reducing the unsustainable increase of student debt.
Background
When students begin their first year at university they receive funding from various donors; and, as they progress, they sometimes fail to meet the required performance standards.
There are also self-paying students who cannot fully pay their fees. This results in a situation where academically performing students are unable to register for succeeding academic years due to financial reasons.
This is meant to provide guidelines on how such students can be assisted. It proposes that each campus must establish a Campus Special Cases Committee, with proper terms of reference.
Membership to the Special Cases Committee
The Committee will be constituted as follows:
1. Campus DD Finance (Chair)
2. Campus Deputy Directors Student Affairs
3. 1 person from the FAB Department/ Designate Staff (also responsible for minutes)
4. 2 SRC members
5. 1 person from the Finance Department, Student Debtors.
Terms of Reference of the Special Cases Committee
1. Evaluate and determine individual student situations submitted.
2. Consider student memorandums explaining their situation and their commitment on how they intend paying their outstanding debts.
3. Interview students, where applicable.
4. Keep credential lists of all students seen during a particular session.
5. Follow-up on students who signed payment agreement forms but reneged on their payment.
6. Refer cases to Campus Rectors for determination 1where consensus cannot be reached.
Special cases quota
The maximum number of students to be assisted to register through special cases shall be approved by Council. The allocation of the quota per campus shall be determined by the CFO and approved by the CFO.
The maximum number of students to be assisted through special cases shall be: Council funded – 1500, SRC funded 1500.
Terms and conditions
1. No students will be allowed to register through special cases registration for a second year without having honoured the prior-year payment agreement. Students who are approved to register through special cases for the second year and have not honoured prior year payment agreements will be required to pay MIP.
2. Students registered under special cases are not entitled to the following benefits:
• Accommodation
• Stipends and any direct payments from the University
• Class and teaching materials purchased directly for students
3. Students applying for special cases registration shall be required to sign an acknowledgement of debt and a payment agreement.
4. The special cases quota allocated is for the year (includes both annual, first semester and second semester registrations)
Processing of special cases registration
1. Special cases clearance is processed in bulk at the institutional office following the receipt of the approved list from the Campus Deputy Director Finance
2. Categories 2(a) and 2(b) do not have to complete a special cases application but an Acknowledgement of Debt and payment agreement forms will be required. The number of students cleared under these categories will be included in the special cases quota.
3. From the 2023 academic year, the acknowledgement of debt form and payment agreement shall be completed on the student portal (i-enabler, online).
4. The institutional office will not process special cases applications from the SRC or directly from students.
|
Category |
Description |
Tuition fees MIP |
Prior year debt |
Application requirement |
|
1(a)– Academically performing students |
Students who are self-paying and progressing well academically and passed 60% and more of their registered modules, and who are owing from R0 to R80 000 or R0 to R200 000 in the case of MBCHB students. |
Nil |
Nil |
Complete a special cases application form and a payment agreement form on how they will pay their fees. |
|
1(b)- Academically performing students |
Students who are progressing well academically passing 50% - 59% their registered modules, who are owing from R0 to R50 000 qualify for this category. |
Nil |
Nil |
Complete a special cases application form and a payment agreement form on how they will pay their fees |
|
2(a) – Post graduate students |
Post graduate students enrolled for Honours, Masters and Doctoral Students qualify for the category. |
Nil |
10% of prior year debt |
Complete and sign a payment agreement form on how they will pay their fees. |
|
2(b) – Students who are converting to B Tech and Advanced Diploma |
Students converting to Advanced Diploma programmes qualify for this category (students need to have been enrolled in a diploma program the prior year and to be progressing to qualify). |
Nil |
Nil |
Complete and sign a payment agreement form on how they will pay their fees. |
|
Category 3(a) – Final year students (first time) |
Final year students for the first time who are not funded qualify for the category. |
Nil |
Nil |
The students must complete a special cases application form and a payment agreement form on how they will pay their fees. Such students MUST produce proof from their Faculty that they are indeed completing their studies in 2023. |
|
Category 3(b) – Final year students (other) |
Students who are repeating their final year who are not funded qualify for the category. |
Nil |
10% of prior year debt |
The students must complete a special cases application form and a payment agreement form on how they will pay their fees. Such students MUST produce |
|
Category |
Description |
Tuition fees MIP |
Prior year debt |
Application requirement |
|
proof from their Faculty that they are indeed completing their studies in 2023. |
||||
|
Category 4 – Students who are not performing well – see note 1 below |
Students who are not performing well academically (with less than 50% pass mark on their registered subjects), and owing less than R30 000 qualify for this category. |
Nil |
10% of prior year debt |
The students must complete a special cases application form and a payment agreement form on how they will pay their fees. |
|
Category 5 – Students assisted by the SRC |
The number of students to be assisted from SRC funds shall not exceed the number of students assisted from Council controlled funds. Students in excess of the quota will need to pay the full MIP (including percentage of outstanding debt) Students should be within N+2 |
R4 600 to be charged against the SRC funds |
Nil |
The student must complete a payment agreement form on how they will pay their fees. |
