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28 May 2025 | Story Lilitha Dingwayo | Photo Lunga Luthuli
Lunga Luthuli
From left to right: Larshan Naicker, Deputy Director: Teaching and Learning, UFS Library and Information Services; Jeannet Molopyane, Director: UFS Library and Information Services; Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation; Keitumetse Eister, University Librarian: Central University of Technology; and Dr Monde Madiba, Deputy Director: Collection Development and Management, UFS Library and Information Services

In a celebration of academic excellence, the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted its first multidisciplinary Library and Information Services Honours and Undergraduate Research Conference (LISHURC) on the Bloemfontein Campus on 23 May 2025. The event offered undergraduate and honours students a unique opportunity to present their research in a professional academic setting.

As a collaborative initiative between faculties and Library and Information Services, the conference served to intellectually stimulate young scholars while promoting scholarly engagement among both students and lecturers. 

Distinguished UFS leaders, including Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation, and Prof Matseliso Mokhele-Makgalwa, Vice-Dean Research Engagement and Internationalisation in the Faculty of Education, were in attendance as guest speakers.

Prof Reddy highlighted the university’s commitment to ensuring that student research reaches a global audience through open-access platforms such as KovsieScholar. 

“I encourage you to embrace this opportunity not only as a moment of recognition, but as a stepping stone toward future research, postgraduate studies, and professional impact,” he said.  

Prof Mokhele-Makgalwa commended the university’s inter-faculty collaboration, led by Library and Information Services, in creating a platform that nurtures academic inquiry. Reflecting on the growth of the initiative since its inception in 2019, she acknowledged its success in 2025 as a milestone.  

“We must also consider the broader purpose - preparing our students not only as researchers but as global citizens, leaders, and innovators,” she said, adding that critical thinking, problem-solving, and strong communication skills are essential in today’s academic and professional landscape. 

Among the student presenters was Langelihle Malaza, an honours student in Information Systems from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, who shared his insights into his group’s project: 

“Our group focused on designing a centralised digital platform - a website that would serve as a hub for both educational resources and communication for users involved in the Information Technology Service Learning (ITSL) programme.”  

The team also acknowledged the instrumental support of Dr Rouxan Fouche, lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics, for his valuable guidance on both content and presentation. 

Attendees praised the event for its inspiring atmosphere and academic depth.  

“I am always interested in learning what other students are researching. When I saw this event, I knew I had to attend - and it exceeded my expectations,” said Jabulile Maseko, a master’s student in Zoology.

This event exemplifies the UFS’s commitment to cultivating research excellence and aligns with the institution's Vision 130 – a roadmap to producing globally relevant graduates who are ready to make a difference. 

News Archive

Important message to UFS students on NSFAS and financial aid in general
2013-02-01

31 January 2013

Dear Students

There remains some uncertainty as well as misinformation within the student body concerning NSFAS and financial aid in general. This communication is intended to provide the facts on the state of student funding at the University of the Free State (UFS). I hope you find this information helpful and that it would guide you in your decisions as you wait to hear from, or hopefully receive funding from NSFAS or any other source.

  1. Every year the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) determines how much funding is available to fund students at all universities in South Africa; this is determined in part by the student numbers. Universities do not ask for, or determine the DHET allocation and are instructed by government that “NSFAS will ensure that the universities comply with the processes, procedures…for the allocated funds.”

  2. On 14 December 2012 the UFS received notice from the DHET that our total allocation would be R108,331,215.66 and that this amount must be apportioned in the following categories:
    General NSFAS Funding R85,174,275.07
    Teacher Training R2,291,940.59
    Disability Funding R1,265,000.00
    Final-Year Programme R19,600,000.00

  3. The UFS received 5 952 applications for NSFAS funding and with the available funding we can only finance up to 3 000 students on the Qwaqwa and Bloemfontein Campuses, provided that those students satisfy the stringent criteria, e.g. the so-called “national means test” determined for all universities in the country. If we funded more students that the available monies allow, the university would be held accountable by the NSFAS Board and the DHET and this would threaten future funding.

  4. Students apply in the previous year and therefore late applications are less likely to receive funding.

  5. Academic merit also counts, therefore students who fail one or more modules are less likely to receive new or ongoing support from NSFAS. The combination of academic standing and financial need are among the important criteria in decision-making on NSFAS funds.

  6. The UFS is one of the few universities with a very efficient record in using every cent made available to support poor students; we are proud of this record. No money is sent back to NSFAS, except small amounts not claimed by students in the disability category. The university is not allowed to shift funds between categories as described in point #2 above.

  7. Allocations are not based on campus, but need.

  8. The UFS sets aside an additional R35,7 million (in 2013) from within its own budget as bursaries so that we can accommodate as many students as possible. We spend every cent of this funding on students.

  9. The UFS also raises millions in bursaries from the private sector to support poor and promising students, though these funds are often linked to the industry granting the money, e.g. Investec for Accounting students and SASOL for Chemistry students. This recruitment of bursaries is a 24/7 commitment of the Marketing Office and the Faculties and Heads of Departments are also active in raising funds from government agencies, parastatals and the private sector for students in their units.

  10. After almost all our 2013 funds were allocated in favour of students, we calculated a shortfall in the NSFAS allocation of approximately R51 million. We are in the process of making an urgent submission to NSFAS to consider this additional allocation, but we cannot guarantee that this plea can or will be met.

Finally, I want all our students to know that the University of the Free State works very hard to raise every cent we can to provide poor students with funding for their studies. Many of my colleagues, including support staff, who do not earn very much, use some of their meagre personal resources to help a student with money for registration or clothing or food. In fact, the No Student Hungry Campaign that raises more than R600,000 by UFS volunteers annually, is another mechanism for trying to assist students who might have money for studies, but not much else.

We do this because we care, and because this is what The Human Project at Kovsies is all about.

I therefore ask for your patience as we continue our labour of raising the funds that enable every deserving student to continue their studies at the University of the Free State.

Should you have any further questions about NSFAS, please leave an email inquiry on choanet@ufs.ac.za or mallettca@ufs.ac.za and we will endeavour to provide you with the information you require.

Sincerely Yours

Jonathan D Jansen
Vice-Chancellor and Rector
University of the Free State

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