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12 February 2025 | Story Lacea Loader
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On 12 February 2025, disruption of academic activities occurred on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS); this followed the disruptions that occurred on 11 February 2025. On the Qwaqwa Campus, attempts to disrupt academic activities also occurred on 12 February 2024.

A memorandum of demands from the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) was handed over to the university management on 11 February 2025, to which management responded; these demands are related to registration and funding. 

Financial concessions have been granted to students on two occasions so far this year to enable them to register. On 10 February 2025, the university granted follow-up concessions.

Furthermore, the institution’s Financial Working Group (FWG) – which includes representatives from the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) – met regularly to determine how it could best assist students to register, taking into consideration the financial constraints of the university.

On the Bloemfontein Campus, 15 students were arrested on 12 February 2025 for transgression of the interdict; internal disciplinary processes are being instituted.

The university’s Protection Services has activated its protest management security escalation plan in accordance with the UFS Protest Management Policy; the situation on the campuses is being closely monitored.

All classes are continuing as normal, and no classes have been suspended. 

It is important to note the NSFAS-related progress made up until now: 

  • NSFAS funding has been confirmed and allocated to 25 551 students.
  • 22 246 of these students have already been successfully registered for the academic year.
  • NSFAS allowances were paid to 14 303 registered students on 3 February 2025.
  • On 17 February 2025, interim allowances will be paid to 7 943 students who were not registered at the time of the first round of payments.
Financial concessions have been granted to students during two occasions so far this year. On 10 February 2025, the university granted the following follow-up concessions: 

1. NSFAS-funded students

Criteria:

  • NSFAS funding for 2025 must be confirmed and reflected on the acknowledgement of debt (AOD) or registration verification document.
  • Historic debt may not exceed R35 000.

Concessions:

  • No payment is required.
  • Students will be eligible for full registration.

Criteria: 

  • NSFAS funding for 2025 must be confirmed and reflected on the acknowledgement of debt (AOD) or registration verification document.
  • Historic debt exceeding R35 000 but not exceeding R50 000.
      Concessions:
  • No payment is required.
  • Students will be eligible for provisional registration. Provisional registration applications must be submitted, and all other terms and conditions will apply.
2. Returning self-paying South African students:

Criteria:
  • Historic debt must not exceed R35 000.
  • Must sign an acknowledgment of debt (AOD).
Concessions:
  • No payment is required.
  • Students will be eligible for provisional registration. Provisional registration applications must be submitted, and all other terms and conditions will apply.
3. Final-year students:
  • Students with an average mark of above 60% were assisted with Monitoring bursaries.
  • 2025 final-year students with an average mark of between 50% and 60% will be assisted with the following concessions.  
Criteria:
  • Final-year students with a pass rate of between 50 and 60% and with outstanding fees up to a maximum of R60 000 to register provisionally.
Concessions:
  • No payment is required.
  • Students must complete a provisional registration application and attach an AOD, covering historic debt plus the first payment required for 2025 registration. 
4. Postgraduate students 
  • The Department of Finance is in contact with the Centre for Postgraduate Support to fast-track funding confirmations.
  • Postgraduate students who have studied at other institutions and wish to register at the UFS must contact Student Finance for possible assistance with registration.

News Archive

UFS Autumn Graduation inspires perseverance
2015-04-20

 

Louzanne Coetzee and her guide dog, Oakley after she received her degree at the UFS’s Autumn Graduation.
Photo: Gerhardus Bosch

Videos

Prof Himla Soodyall
Mr Ndumiso Hadebe
Leanne Manas
Dr Maria Phalime
YouTube video

Photos

Photo Gallery 

 

Autumn has seen the UFS’s first graduation ceremonies of the year on the Bloemfontein Campus. From 14 to 17 April 2015, a total of 3 660 graduates were rewarded for their hard work while top speakers addressed them in the Callie Human Centre.

UFS Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele, commented the more than 250 students who passed their degrees with distinctions at the autumn graduation.

Prof Soodyall, a Medical Scientist at the South African Institute for Medical Research as well as  Principal Medical Scientist for the National Health Laboratory Service, and Director for the Human Genome Diversity and Disease Research Unit at the University of Witwatersrand delivered the first motivational message of the April Graduation. The group of graduates in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences listened as she shared her story with them.
 
"My own career – with no grand design or script – steered me into conducting genetic research on human populations from sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on a better understanding of human evolution, and to reconstruct the prehistory of African populations. While giving graduates a glimpse on how her career progressed, Prof Soodyall said: "I share these stories with you to give you some reassurance that you do not need feel that you have to figure out every minute detail of where to from here. Things fall into place with hard work, dedication, and dreams.

The developed world is forging ahead with interventions, so the gap between the developed world and the developing world continues to grow bigger. Prof Soodyall said: “You have the unenviable opportunity to think strategically, and to use the modern tools in your respective fields to make significant advances to transform our society, and to contribute to making it a better place for all. We need to embrace the current challenges, and build networks and bridges across disciplines to close the gaps, to work beyond the cultural barriers, and to ensure equity in access to health, water, education, etc, for all, as we would wish these things for ourselves and our families.

Read the full story of the Autumn Graduation 2015

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