Students at Northlink College’s Protea campus based in Bellville are angry after the lack in communication around the payment of travel and bursary payments. After approaching the head office’s finance department, students felt helpless and had no other alternative but to seek answers. They claim they were brazenly dismissed without any answers or clear indication as to what the delay is surrounding their allowance payout.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one student on behalf of a group of disgruntled students said that after the application was completed and all necessary documentation was filled in, they were notified by mail that all monies had been paid to the institution by the Department of Higher Education.

After the long waiting, the group of students enquired about the travel allowance and have not received an answer since. They have been told to wait as paper work and the processes involved have not been completed.

Head of finance and spokesperson for Northlink head office in Cape Town, Evan Swart said that the college has different processes that need to be followed and adhered to.

“This we have received from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) however we are in the process of processing those applications for the travel bursaries and claims and if all goes well, that should be completed by the end of this week,” said Swart.

A certain amounts of claims were being paid by the end of the week and another payment was to be made to more bursary students by the end of September.

Swart added that the National Student Fund Aid Scheme [NSFAS] still needed to process payment for all new students after it has been approved and once all claims has been worked through.

“We need to adhere to the standards and processes that have been implemented by the DHET when it comes to working with the money and the claims,” said Swart. VOC (Imogen Vollenhoven)