NSFAS accommodation cap faces backlash as providers warn of funding crisis

The Private Student Housing Association (PSHA) Chief Executive Officer Kagisho Mamabolo said the cap has not addressed the crisis

The fight over the NSFAS accommodation cap has entered a new phase, with private student housing providers warning that the current funding model has failed to solve affordability challenges while putting pressure on the sustainability of the student accommodation sector.

The Private Student Housing Association (PSHA) Chief Executive Officer Kagisho Mamabolo said the cap has not addressed the crisis and has instead created uncertainty for students, universities and accommodation providers.

PSHA’s comments come as student representative councils from 10 universities call for the removal of the cap, saying that it has left many NSFAS-funded students struggling to afford accommodation.

“PSHA agrees with the SRCs that the current accommodation cap has not resolved the affordability challenges facing students,” Mamabolo said.