New Toolkit Launched to Address Postgraduate Funding Crisis in South Africa

The funding landscape for postgraduate students in South Africa is under severe strain, prompting the introduction of a new bursary toolkit aimed at enhancing financial support mechanisms. This initiative, unveiled during a webinar on August 20 by the Independent Philanthropy Association of SA (Ipasa), seeks to address a critical gap in funding that has left many capable students unable to continue their studies.

Louise Sturrock, Ipasa's programme manager, emphasized that the toolkit was created after extensive consultations to provide a cohesive body of knowledge for funders, many of whom are navigating the complexities of postgraduate funding alone. The National Research Foundation (NRF), which allocates funds for postgraduate education, is operating on a drastically lower budget compared to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which supports undergraduate students. Professor Lynn Morris from the University of the Witwatersrand highlighted that while NSFAS receives over R50 billion annually, the NRF's postgraduate budget for 2024 is a mere R1 billion, a figure that has halved since 2017.

The disparity has led to a 'funding cliff,' where students who are fully funded during their undergraduate studies encounter minimal financial support as they transition to postgraduate education. Approximately 80% of student debt is now concentrated in the postgraduate sector, with many students carrying their undergraduate debt into advanced studies. Alarmingly, about 25% of PhD students at Wits do not complete their degrees, a situation necessitating urgent action.

In response to these challenges, Wits has launched several initiatives, including a Doctoral Academy and a Graduate Research Management System, to support students better. However, experts argue that funding cannot merely focus on tuition fees. Chantelle Oosthuizen from the Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust pointed out that comprehensive support—including mentoring and psychosocial assistance—is crucial for student success. Similarly, Leandi Sadie from the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation stressed the importance of measuring success not just by the number of bursaries awarded, but by the tangible outcomes achieved.

The newly developed toolkit includes resources such as a Funding Toolkit for program design and a step-by-step roadmap for funders. It encourages a holistic approach to funding, proposing alternative funding models beyond traditional full-cost bursaries. With the resources now available as open-access materials, funders and educational institutions are urged to utilize and disseminate them widely to improve postgraduate support across South Africa.

Source: www.dailymaverick.co.za