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14 October 2025 | Story Lacea Loader
Infographic

 

The University of the Free State (UFS) suspended all academic activities until further notice on 14 October 2025, following student protest actions that had taken place on its three campuses over the past week.

The protests are related to the introduction of a fairer, more equitable, and sustainable financial support system for ALL students as of 2026. Under this system, academically qualifying students will be fully registered once their fees or funding have been confirmed. All students funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will continue to be registered in full.  This will provide greater certainty about registration status and enable the gradual phasing out of provisional registration. The UFS is the only university in South Africa that allowed students to register while they still had outstanding fees.

 

Situation on the campuses 

The Qwaqwa Campus is closed with immediate effect, and students have been requested to vacate the campus within the next 24 hours. This decision follows incidents on the evening of 13 October 2025, during which a group of students caused extensive damage to university property, engaged in acts of vandalism and arson, and during which several security officers sustained injuries and three remain hospitalised. The university strongly condemns the violent and destructive behaviour displayed during these incidents. 

The Executive Management Committee (Exco) of the university expresses its deep concern about the situation on the Qwaqwa Campus and is currently assessing the full extent of the damage. 

The university’s Protection Services continues to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety of staff and students. 

On the Bloemfontein and South Campuses, all lectures are suspended until further notice; however, only limited movement will be allowed on campus from 19:00 in the evening until 07:00 in the morning.

The university’s Exco has extended an invitation to the Student Representative Councils (SRCs) of all three campuses for continued engagement on the issues that have led to the protests. 

 

Circulation of false information on social media

The university has noted false social media reports alleging that a student was killed during the protest on the Qwaqwa Campus. These reports are incorrect. 

 

Impact of rising levels of student debt

For many years, the UFS was the only university in South Africa that allowed students to register while they still had outstanding fees. This practice reflected the university’s commitment to access. However, there are deep concerns about the rising levels of student debt and the accumulation, leaving students with unserviceable debt at graduation, and together with other contributing factors, debt levels have amounted to close to a billion rand over the past five years. 

A comprehensive review and analysis of the 2025 registration data found that the practice of provisional registration was not deemed an effective mechanism to support students with financial challenges. Each year, an average of 8% of UFS students were provisionally registered. In 2025, the majority of students who had registered provisionally and signed payment arrangements were unable to meet their commitments. This caused a high level of stress and uncertainty for students. 

Notably, students who were successfully registered in full in 2025 did so primarily through UFS-funded bursaries, rather than personal payment. 

 

Proactive, student-centred financial support strategy

To address this, and in agreement with the 2024/2025 Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC), the university has resolved to phase out provisional registration at the end of 2025 and implement a proactive, student-centred financial support strategy.

During a meeting between the university management and the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) on 10 October 2025, it was agreed that the gradual phasing in of this system and approach will NOT affect the following students:

  1. Students who have confirmed funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), irrespective of their historical debt category.
  2. Students with confirmed financial aid and historic debt of less than R20 000.
  3. Students with debt outstanding less than R30 000 (these students can register in full for 2026, subject to the payment of a first payment and settlement of historic debt by 30 May 2026).
  4. Students with debt outstanding more than R30 000 need to reduce their historic debt to R30 000 to qualify for point 3 above. 

It was also agreed with the ISRC that academically qualifying students with historic debt of more than R30 000 will be prioritised in funding applications for bursaries, provided that proof of their own application is given. 

The implication of the above is that only 6% of currently registered students with outstanding fees will have to either obtain financial support in the form of bursaries or settle a portion of their fees. 

 

Bursary support for academically qualifying students 

Under the university’s student-centred financial support strategy, bursary applications for the 2026 academic year opened on 11 October 2025 for final-year bursaries, and other bursaries will open on 20 October 2025, giving students adequate time to plan and secure funding. The university will also provide targeted financial advising to help students manage their finances, apply for funding, and avoid registration-related crises. 

As part of this transition, no deregistration of provisionally registered students took place in 2025. In addition, the VC-ISRC Imbewu Legacy Fund has been established as a joint initiative between the university and the ISRC to create a dedicated vehicle for additional funding to support students at risk. Final-year and leadership bursaries have been created to assist academically qualifying final-year students in 2026 to settle historic debt, ensuring that deserving students are able to continue their studies and complete their qualifications. Applications for the VC-ISRC Imbewu Legacy Fund and the final-year and leadership bursaries must be submitted within the time period. 

The UFS remains committed to supporting all our students by building a fairer, more equitable, and sustainable support system that promotes access, success, and responsible financial sustainability.

 

 

Issued by:
Lacea Loader 
Senior Director: Communication and Marketing
University of the Free State 

News Archive

UFS launches projects to assist communities and current students
2011-03-16

Prof. Jonathan Jansen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector and Mr Rudi Buys, Dean: Student Affairs, with learners at the  Bloemfontein-Oos Intermediary School.
Photo: Stephen Collett

The University of the Free State (UFS) has launched four exciting projects set out to improve the circumstances of its current and prospective students. These include a project that will honour dedicated and influential educators.

These community service projects in the starting blocks are: the UFS Schools Partnership Project, Extreme Make-over Project, Great Teachers Project and the No Student Hungry Campaign.
 
The Schools Partnership Project aims to support 21 schools across the Free State in helping them to become top achievers in the next three to five years. The schools involved were selected last year, after which the groundwork for the project was finalised. Although it mainly focuses on improving scholars' results in mathematics, accounting, physical sciences and English, it is also custom-designed according to the specific needs of the school, as indicated by the respective governing bodies beforehand. As a bonus, scholars of the schools involved will be given an opportunity to be introduced to student life; something Dr Choice Makhetha, UFS Vice-Rector: External Relations (acting), claimed to be of great importance. “We will invite Grade 10 to 12 learners to winter and summer schools being presented at the university. We will connect learners with students (one student adopts one learner for the day) for them to experience campus life. Grade 12 learners will also receive an invitation to the May 2011 graduation ceremony,” Dr Makhetha said.
 
Adding to the university's involvement at schools on local level, the newly upgraded Bloemfontein-Oos Intermediary School with its 112 UFS-sponsored tables will officially be revealed by the end of April. Although this school's upgrade showcases the power of partnerships, it is of special importance to the university, as it also marks the first school to receive an extreme make-over as part of the 'Extreme Make-over for Schools Project'. This project, in conjunction with the local business community, university staff and students, the community, the Department of Basic Education and SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), is considered to be a flagship project of the Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof. Jonathan Jansen. Part of the project’s agreement includes visits from a group of about 100 students representing campus initiatives such as the UFS’s Kovscom, Rag and SIFE, which will contribute to the improvement of the schools' resources within a period of 10 – 15 weekends. “We invite support from all corners. South Africa has a business community committed to improving the social circumstances of its community and we plead that they also come to the rescue of the Bloemfontein-Oos Intermediary School,” said Dr Makhetha.
 
By spreading a 'can do' attitude, the UFS aims to honour noble and remarkable teachers across the country by means of its 'Great teacher's project'. Through the project, fellow citizens are encouraged to submit their stories on their former or current teachers’ dedication and their positive impact which are often overlooked. The panel of seasoned education scholars and practitioners will select the top 500 stories based on the stories' clarity, distinctiveness, plausibility and affectability, which will be perpetuated in a book called 'Great Teachers', to be released at the end of this year. Proceeds are destined to serve as bursaries for students who wish to pursue a career in education. According to Prof. Jansen the ideal teacher is: “Somebody who was among, but stood out above, their colleagues, a person who made a lasting impact long after the details of subject matter content of examination preparation were forgotten.”
 
Regardless of this exceptional effort of supporting schools across the province, the UFS remains committed to its students and their social welfare by means of the 'No student hungry' campaign. This project provides financially challenged students the opportunity to purchase food from the Thakaneng Bridge on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein by using their student cards at two selected kiosks serving balanced meals. The project, which is under the guardianship of Ms Grace Jansen and Dr Carin Buys, relies solely on several fund-raising projects across the country. These women are the respective spouses of the Rector and Dean: Student Affairs, Mr Rudi Buys. According to Ms Jansen this initiative was proposed after UFS staff reported that many students were struggling to concentrate on their studies due to hunger pangs. Although the campaign recognizes students with strong academic records, it doesn't overlook those who need a food bursary which might result in them dropping out. Ms Jansen said as the external funds gathered increase, so will the amount of students being supported by the project. “The plan is to continue until the fate of hungry students had come to an end,” she said.
 

Media Release
14 March 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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