Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

#UFSupdate: DHET guidelines on accreditation of off-campus accommodation

29 January 2020 | Story Lacea Loader

During meetings between the management of the University of the Free State (UFS) and the Bloemfontein Campus Student Representative Council (CSRC) the week of 27 January 2020, the following was agreed:

For 2020, students on the three campuses of the UFS who receive funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and who live in accredited and non-accredited accommodation, will receive the monthly accommodation allowance.

Registered NSFAS beneficiaries must log in on Self Service and apply online for the private accommodation allowance. The application process requires that the lease agreement should be uploaded. This lease agreement must be signed by both the student and the service provider. Approved private accommodation applicants will receive their private accommodation allowance payment during the first week of each month for a period of 10 months, depending on the date of approval and the rental period.

If the service provider does not have a lease agreement, students can download a basic lease agreement form. This form must be signed by the student and the service provider.

A process will be in place to verify the accommodation during 2020, as required by the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology (DHET). This process will start with the completion of the application form for accreditation by the service provider.

Service providers must complete and submit the application form for accreditation to the division Housing and Residence Affairs (HRA) by 29 February 2020, to enable HRA to start the verification process as required by the DHET.

Steps for accreditation of off-campus accommodation

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Marketing)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za

News Archive

Deaf Awareness Month empowers the hearing impaired

2015-09-21

There are more sign languages in the world than spoken languages. About 600 000 deaf South Africans have the South African Sign Language (SASL) as their first language. There are about 40 schools for the deaf in South Africa. 90% of all deaf children are born to hearing parents. Only about 30% of speech is visible on the lips.

How many of these fundamental facts did you know?

Deaf Awareness Month serves to educate hearing communities about issues that the deaf population face on a daily basis, as well as to honour the history and culture of people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. For the past 70 years, the University of the Free State (UFS) has dedicated September to hosting events around the topic of hearing impairment.

The theme of ‘With South African Sign Language rights, our children can!’

This year’s theme had learners from Bartimea School for the Deaf and Blind, hearing impaired UFS students, and Prof Jonathan Jansen engaged in a conversation around empowerment at a picnic held on Monday 7 September 2015 at the Red Square on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Through a sign language interpreter, Matshela, a grade 12 learner, explained that he felt empowered by the efforts the university has made to embrace and empower individuals with disabilities. He then revealed his intentions of pursuing Information Technology or Social Work studies at Kovsies.

Clifford Machete, a first-year Administration student at the university, stated how sign language interpreters gave him an ‘I can’ attitude when he first arrived at university. “As a deaf person, I see that I am able to learn with the help of sign language interpreters. There is accessibility at the university, and I am so proud to be a student here and part of Deaf Awareness Month.”

Susan Lombaard, Lecturer and Acting Chairperson at the Department of South African Sign Language, believes that Deaf Awareness Month is about promoting human dignity.

“We want to show the world that deaf people can do everything, and that their language is as strong and important as any spoken language.”

For more information regarding Deaf Awareness Month activities, contact the South African Sign Language Department on 051 401 2251.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept