Council approves joint proposal on 2024 fee debt

Dear staff and students

We are pleased to inform the University of Cape Town (UCT) community that Council has approved a joint proposal tabled by the executive and the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), aimed at addressing 2024 fee debt issues affecting financially vulnerable students.

The decision was taken at a special Council meeting held on Thursday, 20 February 2025.

The joint proposal submitted by the executive and SRC was the outcome of a collaborative effort aimed at balancing the pressing need to ensure that the university caters for financially vulnerable students who are also academically eligible, but whose debt exceed the R10 000 threshold. At the same time, it sought to ensure that the university remains financially sustainable.

Council was impressed at the commitment demonstrated by the SRC and the executive to intensify fundraising efforts as well as to ensure that students and fee-payers who can afford to pay do so. These are among the measures that will be taken towards minimising the university’s historic student debt, which currently stands at R864 million.

The joint proposal approved by Council covers five categories of students as follows:

1. Academically eligible but financially vulnerable students who lost financial aid funding subject to debt owed being limited to the 2024 academic year

The total number of students in this category is 235, and the total debt owed by this group is R26 million. Priority will be given to students entering their final year. This group, 96 final-year students, has a combined outstanding total debt of R10 million.

Eligible students in this category will be contacted by the Student Financial Aid Office.

2. Students who have made significant partial payments towards their 2024 debt

Within this group, there are 458 students who owe a total of R18 million. The proposal focuses specifically on 178 students who owe R4.3 million. Priority will be based on students having made significant payment and falling into one of the two categories below:

• students who have settled at least 40% of the outstanding debt, or
• those whose remaining debt is below R50 000.

Eligible students in this category will be contacted by the Fees Office.

3. Students who had bursaries in 2024 and have historic debt

There are two groups of students in this category: full bursary students (76 students owing R6 million) and partial bursary students (38 students owing R2.8 million). This category will be considered provided that they either settled at least 40% of the outstanding debt, or they reduce their remaining debt to below R50 000. Priority will be given to students in their final year who have lost their bursaries, based on proven financial vulnerability or significant partial payment.

Eligible students in this category will be contacted by the Fees Office.

4. Students who have secured funding for their 2025 studies

These are students who have obtained approved loans or verifiable bursaries. This group will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Eligible students in this category should send an email to debtrelief@uct.ac.za.

5. Students who are self-funded and have made 0% payment

In this category, there are 1 189 students owing R123 million, which presents a high risk to the university. This group of students will be considered based on proven financial vulnerability or significant partial payment; and subject to the R30 million threshold across all the above categories.

Eligible students in this category should email proof of payment to debtrelief@uct.ac.za.

The total threshold for implementation will be limited to R30 million. It is however important to emphasise that the university is not covering or waiving this debt; each student will remain responsible for settling their outstanding fees.

A further requirement for all five categories is that students will need to have a confirmed crowdfunding account (Feenix, BackaBuddy, etc) and sign an acknowledgment of debt.

Council was encouraged by the fact that the executive and the SRC reached agreement following meaningful engagement.

Council was also clear that students who engaged in violent and disruptive acts, in breach of the student Code of Conduct and the interdict granted in May 2023 by the Western Cape High Court, must be held to account. The executive was required to give Council assurances in this regard.

We remain highly appreciative of the patience, understanding and fortitude demonstrated by members of the university community over the past few days, and we deeply regret the inconvenience caused.

In approving this joint proposal, Council has brought the university towards a path where the academic year is back on track, while ensuring that the university lives up to its commitment of enabling access to all academically eligible students irrespective of their vulnerable financial backgrounds.

Sincerely

Norman Arendse (SC)
Chair of UCT Council

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements