Continuing Education and Training Act, 2006 (Act No. 16 of 2006)NoticesNational Norms and Standards for Funding Technical and Vocational Education and Training CollegesE. Other Funding Streams65 - 72. College fees |
| 65. | The CET Act makes it clear that public TVET Colleges may raise revenue through the charging of college fees. For the purposes of this policy, college fees are fees charged to students by public TVET Colleges to cover the portion of the training cost not covered by formula funding of programmes. For the purposes of this policy, then, college fees do not include hostel fees, or fees charged for programmes that do not receive public TVET funding. |
| 66. | Considered that fees are an important income stream for TVET Colleges, students that can afford tuition fee should pay. Students with academic potential should not be excluded because they cannot afford fees as per NSFAS guidelines. |
| 67. | According to CET Act 2006, section 5(2)(g), a College Council "determines tuition fees, accommodation fees and any other fees payable by students as well as accommodation fees payable by employees." However, students who are eligible to NSFAS bursary funding are not expected to be charged student fees by the college. |
| 68. | The formula funding of programmes, described from paragraph 35 has implications for what may be considered fair practice with respect to college fees. In particular, the level of the college fees charged should not deviate substantially from what is implied by the assumed fee level described in paragraph 47. |
| 69. | In accordance with paragraph 18, the responsibility for structuring college fees charged for programmes receiving formula funding rests with colleges. However, the net effect of this structuring should be that the total planned income from college fees should be more or less equal to what is implied by the assumed fee levels per programme. The total planned income from college fees may be up to 10% higher than the assumed fee level, without there being a need for DHET approval. Moreover, the college fee charged to a student for any particular programme, subject to formula funding should not deviate substantially from the rand amount implied by the assumed fee level for that programme. Any deviation outside of the bands referred to here require DHET approval, within the DHET-college planning process. The way the transition occurs from the outgoing fee structures of colleges to the new fee structures implied by this policy is linked to how the transition to more normalised per student spending is achieved across colleges. |
| 70. | The DHET must establish and maintain a national TVET College bursary system. The administration of this bursary scheme will be managed by NSFAS. This must include a means test designed to gauge the financial needs and academic capability of public TVET College students, as well as the necessary tools required to implement the means test. The DHET must further formulate rules and guidelines regarding the allocation of bursaries to colleges, as well the awarding of such bursaries. The bursary systems shall be aimed at ensuring that an inability to pay college fees does not constitute a barrier to academically capable student's access to a formula funded programme at a public TVET College. The means test and accompanying rules and guidelines must be based on best practice and research findings, and be aimed at providing public TVET Colleges with a system within which responsiveness to student need and programme cost can be managed by the college. The DHET requirements and guidelines shall be sufficiently detailed and binding to establish a transparent system and to enforce key policy imperatives. |
| 71. | The rules and guidelines regarding bursaries referred to in the previous paragraph should incorporate an efficiency element whereby students who repeat programmes should be less eligible for bursaries than students who enrol for programmes for the first time. |
| 72. | Colleges must manage bursaries in accordance with paragraph 70 to 71. |