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Students with disabilities thrive with support of FNB grant

25 April 2019 | Story Mamosa Makaya

Since 2016, the University of the Free State Center for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) has received a grant from First National Bank worth R2 498 000, which supports tertiary bursaries for students with disabilities. Bursary holders are funded through CUADS, as the administrator of the bursaries.

These are students enrolled for various academic programmes who require academic assistance and/or assistive devices such as electronic handheld magnifiers, laptops, and hearing aids. The FNB grant also covers tuition, accommodation, study material and books, and meals. The success of the grant is already evident, with one of the recipients having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in December 2018. A second student was capped at the April 2019 graduations with a BSc Honours in Quantity Surveying.

Supporting the principles of the ITP

The UFS received the grant from FNB in instalments, starting in the 2016 academic year to date, supporting the needs of 40 disabled students. This grant and the work of CUADS speaks to and supports the principles of the Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP), namely inclusivity, transformation, and diversity. The vision of the Universal Access work stream is to enable the UFS to create an environment where students with disabilities can experience all aspects of student life equal to their non-disabled peers. The ITP provides for the recognition of the rights of people with disabilities as an important lesson in social justice and an opportunity to reinforce university values.

The successful administration of the grant to benefit past and present students is a ‘feather in the cap’ of CUADS, and is a shining example of the impact of public private investment and the endless possibilities that open up when there is a commitment to developing future leaders in academic spaces, allowing them to thrive by creating a learning environment that is welcoming and empowering.

News Archive

UFS waives application fees for studies in 2016

2015-10-22

The University of the Free State (UFS) has waived application fees for all prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students - nationally and internationally - who want to study at the institution in 2016.

"Universities charge application fees that vary in amount. With 25 universities in South Africa, this fee becomes a burden for students who want to apply to more than one university. The university leadership has also realised that tens of thousands of students who qualify for university entrance stumble at the first hurdle: finding the money to apply,” says Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector.

According to Prof Jansen, the UFS would like to set an example and a challenge to all public universities to scrap the application fee, so that many more young people from poor communities can realise their dream of accessing higher education. At the same time, the universities will benefit from more top talent coming into higher learning. "The more students that enrol and graduate, the stronger the financial position of universities will be; it is a win-win policy, and the university leadership has done the maths on this," he says.

The application fees for 2016 were R235 for South African students and R500 for international students. Prospective students, who have already applied for admission in 2016, will not be refunded. However, students who have already registered successfully for 2016 may apply to have the application fee credited to their tuition fee account after they have registered next year.

To support this initiative, UFS Marketing will be conducting an on-site application campaign by visiting East London, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley, Qwaqwa, Kathu, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Newcastle, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, and Ladysmith from 28 August 2015. Further details of the venues in each town will be available on the Kovsie2b Facebook page.

All prospective students currently doing their final-year undergraduate studies at either the UFS or any other university will also pay no registration fee if they want to continue with an Honours degree in 2016. The registration fee for 2016 was R950.

The closing date for applications for admission is 31 December 2015.

Apply for undergraduate or postgraduate studies at the UFS for 2016.

For enquiries, please call +27(0)51 401 9111.

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