Entrance fees at universities :(

On registering (once again) this year for my master’s degree, I was told that a requirement of my registration was paying R4 500. Should I not be able to pay this “initial payment”, I would not be registered for the course. I could afford this as I am working and earning. But, had this been a requirement when I started university, I doubt I would have been able to enrol. This experience got me thinking.

At first, I thought perhaps this is only for postgraduate students at the faculty of management, but, no, it is across the University of the Witwatersrand, for all students from undergraduate upwards. Then I thought maybe it was only Wits, but a couple of websites later, the practice seems very common. The universities of KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Johannesburg all have a similar “deposit” or “acceptance fee”. In all cases fees of between R2 500 and R11 000 have to be paid prior to or on the date of registration. Otherwise, despite having a place, your registration will not be processed.

When I was an undergraduate student, I fully supported the campaigns against “financial exclusions”. There were students who had good grades but could not afford the fees, and so were kicked out. Fortunately, the moral argument against financial exclusions won the day, and students were allowed to proceed to the following year of study, or graduate after signing a loan agreement.

Today, the young adults from poor families might just be stopped from entering university in the first place. I doubt many young adults can come up with the required deposits, even if they have been dutiful in applying for financial assistance. And even if they get support from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, they will get an average of R10 000.

I fully understand that universities have bills to pay and need to be financially sustainable. One of the reasons I pay my taxes is because I want universities to be sustainable, and because I believe the government must develop this country and use taxes to benefit the poor.

But, the following example illustrates the point of financial sustainability trumping opportunities for the poor.

Let us assume that two students have exactly the same results and are applying for the same course. Student A comes from a rich family, and her family pays the fees. Student B comes from a poor family, does not have the funds and thus cannot register. That is patently unfair, as opportunity is dictated by wealth.

But, if we add another student, the situation becomes even more unfair. Student C has lower marks than both Student A and B, but can pay the acceptance deposit. She enters the course, despite having a poorer matric pass rate than Student B.

That favours wealth over academic achievement. Moreover, university education is subsidised. Are our taxes thus supporting those who might not need help? Is the subsidy reaching those most deserving?

Universities boast about being transformed, but until poor children have an equal opportunity to enter tertiary education, they can never be transformed. Once at university, most students with good marks find a way of staying in and graduating. Weekend jobs, bursary applications and student loans are all part of “making a plan”. But you need to get in before you can make a plan.