Funding applications for missing middle introduced
- Wits University
The gap funding will be granted only to South African citizens and permanent residents who study towards undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in 2017.
The Government, through the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), recommended that a fee adjustment for the 2017 academic year should be determined by the universities and that it should not exceed 8%. The Government has committed to pay the fee increase through a gap funding grant on behalf of the missing middle families, whose household income is less than R600,000 per annum.
The gap funding will be granted only to South African citizens and permanent residents who study towards undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in 2017. The funding will only cover tuition fees and the costs of University-managed accommodation.
The applicant and direct family must have a combined GROSS family income of no more than R600,000 per annum.
Students who are eligible for National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding and those who went to Quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools do not need to apply for this gap funding. However, students that are recipients of university merit bursaries are eligible to apply.
The gap funding will not apply to students who receive a full bursary to fund their studies.
Students who are eligible for, and require gap funding, should start applying from 16 January 2017 through the University when registering, using the online form that will be available on the University’s Student Self-Service portal. Students will be expected to provide proof of household income (through salary advice slips) to enable verification of total family income. Copies of identity documents of income earners will also be required, as well as a consent form signed by parents/legal guardians/spouses, enabling the university to conduct a credit check.
The DHET will determine the recipients of the gap funding and will guarantee the fee adjustment in the form of a grant to the University.
Find a copy of the DHET Grant Application form by following the link below:
Specimen of DHET grant application form