Department of Higher Education and Training University Registrations and Enrolments 2014

1. Department of Higher Education and Training University Registrations and Enrolments 2014 Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training 19 February 2014

2. University Enrolment and Registration • University Enrolment Planning and Spaces for First-time entering Students in 2014 • Status of Registrations as at 14 February 2014 • Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) • NSFAS and NSFAS Challenges during Registration • Student Unrest over the Registration Period • Teaching Development Grant initiatives to improve first year experience • Way Forward

3. Enrolment Planning Process • The department negotiates enrolment figures with universities in cycles. The previous cycle resulted in a national enrolment plan and output targets for the 2011 to 2013 academic years. • Going forward it has been decided to have a longer term planning view of 6 years with a mid-term review, in order to ensure better integrated planning at universities. • The planning for the 2014 – 2019 academic years has been negotiated. The Ministerial Statement on targets for the system and individual institutions for this cycle will be published before March 14. • The following slide shows enrolment figures for the total number of First Time–Entering (FTEN) students and FTEN students enrolled in scarce skills areas (2012 actuals; 2013 preliminary; 2014 planned targets)

4. First Time–Entering (FTEN) students and FTEN students enrolled in scarce skills areas ( 2012 - 2014 academic years)

5. Total enrolment in scarce skills areas ( 2012 - 2014 academic years)

6. Registrations at Universities for 2014 • Registration closing dates vary across the system from 31 January 2014 to the 31 March 2014 • Registrations consist of 3 types: year courses; first semester and second semester (individual headcount enrolments in the academic year can occur at different times in the year – therefore final preliminary registrations for the 2014 academic year will only be available in August 2014; audited data will be available in October 2015) • Currently institutions have not yet finalised registration and therefore the registration numbers are incomplete • The Table (following slide) shows the progress towards the enrolment targets for the 2014 academic year (not audited)

7. Status of Registrations at 14 February 2014

8. Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) and 2014 Registrations • The department through the Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) has been in constant contact with universities on spaces available at institutions • As at 12 February 2014: • - 16 Universities indicated that they had registered their full compliment of FTEN students • - 7 Universities indicated they still have some spaces in selected programmes • - 2 new universities are in the process of registering students

9. Available spaces as at 12 February 2014

10. Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) • The second year of the Central Applications Clearing House was implemented in January 2014 • CACH targeted grade 12 learners from the Class of 2012 and Class of 2013 who: • had not applied but found they were eligible for university studies • did apply but were not successful at the institution of their choice • Purpose was to ensure that in 2014 applicants (rejected / late) receive better guidance than in the past, and that the number of walk-ins is minimised across the system

11. Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) • CACH Capability • - able to handle up to 80 concurrent incoming calls and operational from 07:00 to 22:00 everyday • - Staff able to speak all official languages; message recording service; all calls recorded; data capturing during calls • - Automated call diverting to the 4 CACH options • - Daily reports received • CACH went live on 6 January 2014 and will continue to operate until the end of March 2014 • To access CACH prospective students can: • Call 0860 35 66 35 (Toll free) • Call 0800 35 66 35 (Share call) • Send a Please Call Me to 072 204 5056 • Send a SMS to 49200 • Register online at cach.dhet.gov.za

12. Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) • CACH service provides 4 options • 1. Candidate registration (Register on CACH system) • 2. Career advice (Receive free career advice) • 3. DHET call centre (Institution specific feedback) • 4. Artisan call centre (Learnership considerations) • The Career Advice call centre is functional throughout the year and provides ongoing Career Advice and assistance to learners in understanding the requirements for specific types of programmes • Prospective students’ information captured by CACH according to study fields and geographic preference

13. Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) • Information in the database verified against the DBE and IEB exam results database • Lists generated of prospective eligible students looking for spaces at various institutions in specific fields of study • Lists provided to all universities and also to private providers who have had their institutions and courses verified for registration and accreditation • Applicant lists provided to SETAs and NAMB for learnership and artisan opportunities • Applicants not meeting the minimum requirements for university studies redirected to Career Advice for guidance on other opportunities in the post school system

14. CACH Volumes and Processes A total of 8 329 prospective applicants who met Bachelors or Diploma requirements have been fully registered on the system.

15. CACH Volumes and Processes Up to Wednesday 12 February 2014 • 4 Provisions of the database have been provided to all universities • Programme specific candidate data has been provided to 8 institutions who have directly requested this information • Over 80% of universities are fully subscribed with very few places remaining in the 20% • Applicant data has been provided specifically to the remaining 20% of available spaces • The service will survey all applicants on the CACH database for placement feedback and to offer further career advice

16. Service Impact • A 2013 survey of 644 prospective applicants in the database identified that 28% of the sample were successfully placed • In order to determine service impact, the 2013 and 2014 databases will be contacted to find out the percentage of individuals who have found placements • Feedback from these two years will show progress of service and also provide further insight into the current realities facing this specific group • Feedback will enable an enhanced service for 2015 applicants

17. NSFAS Challenges DHET MTEF allocation: 2011/12 – 2014/15 Despite massive NSFAS budget increases between 2011 and 2014 (69.3 % in 2011/12; 27,7 % in 2012/13: 9,3 % in 2013/14 and 5,9 % in 2014/15) the demands still exceeds funds available

18. NSFAS Challenges • 1. NSFAS Shortfall (problem across the system) • Key issues raised by students and student bodies is that many deserving returning and first year students are unable to register due to insufficient NSFAS funding • The 2010 NSFAS review NSFAS requires 3 x its current budget if students are to be funded at the FCS • Universities reported a shortfall of R2,6 billion on their 2013 allocation for the 2013 academic year for all qualifying NSFAS students. Funding shortfalls can be expected for the 2014 academic year • The Department provided an additional R1 billion from the NSF of which R230 million is earmarked for historic debt from 2013 to assist NSFAS returning students

19. NSFAS Challenges • SETAs have responded positively by contributing R411 million to assist 2013 cohort shortfall. Funding will continue for 2014 if students progress successfully. 2.Disbursements by universities. • Disbursements of funds are done by institutions. Inconsistencies within the system in allocating NSFAS funding. Each university has its own processes • Some institutions “Top slice” or cap awards , therefore NSFAS students have outstanding debts and cannot register • Students sign Loan Agreement Forms (LAF) without knowing the award size. Students believe that they were adequately funded only to realise later that they still owe the university and this complicates registration • Inefficiencies in the distribution of NSFAS funding at an institutional level

20. NSFAS Challenges • In terms of the NSFAS policy, funding is provided to students who have a course pass rate of at least 50% • Universities allocate loans linked to availability of funding using their own criteria. Due to the shortfall some universities only funded students with the best academic results and a zero Expected Family Contribution (EFC) • In the case of UJ NSFAS qualifying students who had passed less than 80 % of their subjects were not awarded loans and are responsible for their own funding • Failure of students to pay the EFC as shown by the NSFAS Means Test results in debt and in the student not being able to register

21. NSFAS Challenges • Universities over claim with the result that students are under the impression that they were funded • Universities allow students to sign LAFs knowing fully well that they have depleted their allocation • Students become aware of this when they cannot access their results or are told that they have outstanding debt • 3. Policy of only granting B.Tech funding to students where it is a requirement to register with a professional council to practice a profession • 4. Late payments by NSFAS to institutions. Universities indicated that were unable to clear students accounts which would enable registration

22. NSFAS Challenges • 5. NSFAS Central application process: • Students from two of the 12 pilot institutions (DUT and UCT) have indicated their dissatisfaction with the new central application system, specifically the mobile banking solution (Sbux) • Late finalisation of approved list of first year students who qualified for NSFAS funding that had a huge impact on the registration process at the pilot universities • 6.Fraud and corrupt practices by some students deny the other deserving students the ability to access NSFAS • 7. Repayment of loans by students who have benefited from higher education studies and graduated are not all paying back. There is a need to improve the recovery rate

23. Student Unrest • There has been unrest over the 2014 registration period, mostly linked to alleged lack of NSFAS funding • SASCO called a general strike even though there had been continuing engagements between the Minister and Department • Some of the unrest led to the destruction of property and some injury to staff and students • Incidents occurred at UJ, TUT, DUT, MUT, VUT • Other institutions have reported that while there have been complaints and negotiations are going on, violence has not erupted • By the second week of February 2014 most institutions were calm and teaching had started

24. Enhanced Teaching and Learning Support for New Entrants • Institutional Teaching Development Grant proposals for 2014 and beyond highlight: • the central contribution of ‘First Year Experience’ initiatives, providing a wide range of student support initiatives • establishment and consolidation of Writing Centres as a central component of language development support • dramatic expansion of tutorial and mentoring programmes • growing acknowledgement (with concomitant action) of the urgent need for the professionalisationof teaching at undergraduate level in particular

25. Looking Forward • Apply Now! Campaign to assist in getting message to prospective PSET students that in future late applications will not be considered - to be launched on 14/15 March 2014 • Better Career Advice in schools also linked to Apply Now! Campaign the SAQA/DHET Career Advice Service and the wider DHET Career development project • CACH in 2015 will focus on assisting students who have applied but not been accepted into an institution of their choice and need to be directed to other PSET opportunities • The Central Applications Service will be developed during 2014 for piloting in 2015 and implementation in 2016

26. Thank You