It’s exciting to see more South Africans graduating from university than ever before. People (particularly those in the rural areas) used to think that those attending tertiary institutions came from a good and financially-stable background or were at least intelligent enough to receive bursaries.
That mentality discouraged many people to pursue a higher education, but now, it seems as if the general attitude is changing.
These days, whoever is eager and willing to study has the opportunity to do just that — all it requires is a bit of persistence and researching appropriate methods for reaching the tertiary level.
The South African government has done its best to support disadvantage people by providing all institutions with NSFAS, ‘a statutory body funded by the Department of Education, which provides loans to academically-able, but financially-needy students’ says South African.info.
Recognising the need to offer financial options, all of South Africa’s major banks are now offering student loans, as well as private sectors such as South African Breweries, Kantey & Templer, Engen, etc. In order to help, these businesses are giving bursaries to talented and deserving South African students. For those who do receive financial support, the ideal situation would be that, once they finish their degrees, they are guaranteed a job. This sort of commitment encourages students to further pursue a higher degree.
A decade ago, students could only access general college institutions, but now, students are able to attend technology and vocational universities to not only pursue undergraduate degrees, but to also receive their masters and Phd. This shift in attitude and opportunity is dire for South Africa as it helps the country continue to grow with skilled, diverse, and motivated people.
We are very proud of our country and look forward to more youth receiving a quality education!
References
http://www.southafrica.info/services/education/studentloans.htm
http://www.sablimited.co.za/sablimited/content/en/sab-bursars
