WITH South Africa bumped back down to level 1 lockdown after another “family meeting” in September, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has made the decision to re-open its Cape Town walk-in centre this week.
“With the country being placed on lockdown Level 1 by the President, NSFAS will open its Walk-in Centre at the Cape Town Offices on Monday 11 October 2021. The working hours are between 09H00 -16H30. Find us at House Cloete, Brodie Road, Wynberg, Cape Town,” NSFAS explained on Twitter.
For those who would like to call the offices for any reasons – such as to see if space is available to allow for social distancing – this official governmental website lists the two contact numbers at the location as 080 006 7327 and 021 763 3200.
While the country is now in level 1 lockdown and the vaccine rollout is cause for mild optimism, some may question why a physical location for NSFAS is required when the organisation can be contacted in a number of different ways remotely.
SA’s educational institutions have a poor record when it comes to responding to student questions in a timeous manner.
In a twitter feed, NSFAS said sometimes when students have a problem that is urgent or has been outstanding for a long time with no resolution through remote communication, a physical visit to something like a walk-in centre is one of the few ways to get proper help.
There’s also the issue of scammers having easier access to students online, a persistent problem that NSFAS itself has to deal with constantly with warnings.
For those who would like to visit a physical location but are not based in Cape Town, NSFAS provides a number of application centres outlined here.
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) works with NSFAS and its list of location is available on the website.
- * Inside Education
