Lindokuhle Ntuli

Student Affairs at the University of the Free State (UFS) supports the Right to Learn Campaign  that was launched in October this year by the Student Representative Council (SRC).

Every year, thousands of students at the UFS register provisionally, unable to pay their full registration fee and/or outstanding fees from the previous year. They are then given a three-month period to ensure that all their registration fees are paid up. It is during this period that the SRC faces a huge crisis in trying to assist all students that are unable to pay the remainder of their fees and to ensure that no student is financially excluded and deregistered, and unable to continue with their studies.

In previous years, the SRC has gone out to seek donations and sponsorships from various sources in order to prevent the deregistration of any student with a promising academic career. Adding to this initiative, the SRC this year launched the Right to Learn Campaign, following the national #FeesMustFall campaign. SRC members showed their commitment to the cause by making pledges of no less than R500 each from their own pockets.

Lindokuhle Ntuli, SRC President on the Bloemfontein Campus at the UFS, said: “We believe the right to education is not only reserved for those who can afford it. It is heart-breaking to see a student with great potential dropping out of university due to the burden of fees.

“We firmly believe that higher education is the key to success and is imperative in the fight against inequality and poverty - therefore a donation is an investment not only in the students, but in the future of our country.”

Ntuli challenges everybody to contribute to the Right to Learn initiative.

The banking details are as follows:

Account number: 15-7085-0721 ABSA Bank Branch
Reference: SRC FUND 
Branch Code: 632005 Cheque Account
Swift code: ABSAZAJJ

Please email proof of payment to ntulil@ufs.ac.za

All proceeds will be channelled towards reducing the number of students who will face de-registration in 2016, the SRC textbook bursary, and food bursaries.