The Private Student Housing Association (PSHA) has called on the Minister of Higher Education and Training to act now and provide policy certainty around National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) accommodation rates and allowances for 2025.

The association has announced that key stakeholders from the student housing sector will gather this month to discuss the host of challenges currently facing this important property area – including affordability and the quality of accommodation.

“We urge investors, owners, developers, operators and students to attend this upcoming webinar on Tuesday, November 26, 2024,” the PSHA states. This event, hosted by the PSHA in collaboration with the Reside Summit, will feature industry experts discussing important topics such as adjusting rental rates based on accreditation and grading, enhancing data integration for more efficient NSFAS-funded bed allocations, and resolving lease agreements between NSFAS, landlords, and students.

PSHA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kagisho Mamabolo says that it is critical for all stakeholders in this sector to engage now to deliberate on the proposed initiatives for 2025 and beyond. “We need clarity on proposals such as the implementation of a universal accreditation tool and a three-year rental framework under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), and it is vital to understand the implications of Minimum Norms and Standards (MNS) on grading criteria.

"As private student accommodation providers, we invest billions into the sector to support government's efforts to provide quality and affordable beds. As a result, we cannot accept constant flip-flops by NSFAS that threaten the sustainability of the environment. We need to be sure of what the 2025 academic year looks like,” Mamabolo stresses.

"We are not happy with NSFAS being unable to give us assurance that 2025 will be stable and with no drastic changes in rates and accreditation. Our members, who provide the largest number of quality beds that are compliant with the Norms and Standards, are not sure if they will be paid for the services they currently render to the students. Some of them are yet to be paid by NSFAS, while others have been waiting to be accredited since 2023.”

This event will be a virtual chat room where participants can engage in live discussions with peers, colleagues and industry experts. “This is a not to be missed event for everyone seeking policy certainly on student accommodation in order to resolve the existing shortages of quality beds for universities and the TVETs in South Africa,” states Debbie Tagg, Reside Summit chair. She notes that the private sector has a role to play in bridging the gaps and supporting academic success and throughput.

To attend this event, which takes place online from 10h00 to 12h30 on 26 November 2024.