Getting into university is only the first hurdle for students from rural SA

AS UNIVERSITIES in South Africa prepare to admit a new group of students, thousands of young people from rural parts of the country hope for a life-changing opportunity.

- HELLEN AGUMBA

IN 2023, public universities enrolled 258 778 first-time students. Demand is intense. For example, the University of Johannesburg received 358 992 applications for just 10 500 first-year spaces in 2025.

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In 2023, public universities enrolled 258 778 first-time students. Demand is intense - for example, the University of Johannesburg received 358992 applications for just 10500 first-year spaces in 2025.

A substantial proportion of these new students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is often the only key to unlocking post-school education.

The scheme supports students from families earning less than R350 000 a year and has a target of 850 000 students. It is supposed to cover fees, accommodation, a living allowance, transport and learning materials.

Yet for many rural students, this key fails to turn the lock.

The number of students from rural areas who secure university placements cannot be determined.

Neither the Council on Higher Education nor the Department of Higher Education systematically tracks students’ geographic origins. But what research does show is that students from rural areas face challenges beyond financial constraints.

My research on higher education access and learning experiences, particularly among marginalised students, has explored the reasons and consequences.

The conversation around financial aid rightly focuses on administrative crises - devastating payment delays and operational failures that erode trust. These are human catastrophes. But I’ve found that for rural students, these problems are only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath lies a deeper web of challenges.

Financial aid is crucial but it cannot compensate for systemic disadvantages that begin long before students reach campus and persist throughout their studies.