The FAPSA 2024 conference was held at the SS Elangeni & Maharani Hotel, Durban.

Conference Theme: “#Building a unified future through collaboration and partnership”
Hosted by:  UKZN, UNIZULU, DUT & MUT

This year’s conference’s theme #Building a unified future through collaboration and partnership, focusing on collaboration between educational institutions, government bodies, technology innovators and financial institutions. This theme explores how partnerships can leverage technology to create a unified ecosystem that supports inclusive financial aid strategies and enhances support for all learners.

The Financial Aid Offices (FAOs) continue to be left out of critical decision-making processes, and we have throughout the past few years emphasized on the importance of communication from NSFAS to FAOs in line with the demands and the implementation of Free Higher Education.

We have thought leaders who will be sharing their wealth of knowledge with the delegates.

The programme:
The conference will include a break-away discussion session where delegates will get the opportunity to network and exchange best practices.

Topics that are identified that could be included on the program are:

• State of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and its impact on student and university debt
• The challenges faced by historically disadvantaged universities in fundraising
• The importance of education and dedicated bodies in the fundraising profession

Documents

Invitation to the 2024 conference | Conference programme |FAPSA Executive reports

The FAPSA 2023 conference was held at the Gold Reef City Theme Park Hotel, Gauteng.

Conference Theme: “#Empowering Futures: Fostering Inclusive Innovation in Financial Aid”
Hosted by: University of Johannesburg
Over the past few years, we have always aligned our conference theme in line with the current challenges or circumstances that we faced within our sector. In 2016 our theme was, “#Crossroads: Where to next?” in 2017, our theme was, “#Free Education and our role”, in 2018, “#Free Education – The Impact”, and 2019 “#Free Education – The Future of the Financial Aid Offices”.

The 2023 and 19th FAPSA Conference’s theme is: “#Empowering Futures: Fostering Inclusive Innovation in Financial Aid”.

This year’s conference revolved  around the idea of using innovative approaches to make financial aid more accessible, equitable, and supportive for all individuals seeking education and opportunities. Combining innovation and inclusivity in financial aid, institutions and organizations can transform the landscape of education, ensuring that no deserving individual is left behind due to financial limitations. This theme serves as a guiding principle for stakeholders in the education and financial sectors to collaborate and drive positive change in the lives of students and their communities.

We as FAPSA believe that our theme for this year’s conference clearly indicates that we still have a long way go. The Financial Aid Offices (FAOs) continue to be left out of critical decision-making processes. We have throughout the past few years emphasized on the importance of communication from NSFAS to FAOs in line with the demands and the implementation of Free Higher Education.

Thought leaders will shared their wealth of knowledge with the delegates. This year’s conference took the form of an evolving conversation bringing together DHET, NSFAS, USAF and the members within the student funding sector.

Documents

Invitation to the 2023 conference | Conference programme |FAPSA AGM agenda | FAPSA President’s report | FAPSA Secretary General’s report | FAPSA Treasurer’s report | NSFAS presentation | FAPSA pre-funders presentation | NSFAS payments and remittances|  CAPITEC Smart Funder presentation

The FAPSA 2019 conference was held at the Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town.

Conference Theme: “#Free Education – The Future of Financial Aid Offices”
Co-Hosted by: Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Stellenbosch University (SU)
FAPSA, since 2001 has always played a pivotal role in determining what the Best Practices and Processed would be in assisting Financial Aid Offices, and in assisting NSFAS and Donors alike in the management, administration and allocation of funds within the industry. The past few years turned out to be some of the most challenging years within the industry, since the inception of FAPSA. The changes and challenges we were subjected to over the past few years seem endless and sometimes, we need to take step back and ask ourselves the question, “When will it ever end?”. To date, the so-called, “Central Application System” and “#FeesMustFall”, processes and procedures, seem to do done nothing, other than complicate, the way we operate within our Financial Aid Offices. Change has always been accepted within our sector, as we all believe in changing for the betterment in the way we offer our services to our clients (both students and donors) in the way we administer our funding nationally and in compliance with the sponsor’s rules. The changes we as FAPSA were subjected to over the past few years, are endless. We have however have all been affected by the statement made by our former President in relation to Free Education and hence our theme for this year’s conference, “#Free Education – The Future of the Financial Aid Offices”

Over the past few years, we have always aligned our conference theme in line with the current challenges or circumstances that we faced within our sector. In 2016 our theme was, “#Crossroads: Where to next?” in 2017, our theme was, “#Free Education and our role”, in 2018, “#Free Education – The Impact”, and for this year’s conference, our theme, “#Free Education – The Future of the Financial Aid Offices”. We as FAPSA believe that our theme for this year’s conference clearly indicates that we have come to yet another milestone that will affect the future of the Financial Aid Offices in line with the demands and the implementation of Free Higher Education. The Financial Aid Offices throughout South Africa continue to be left out of critical decision-making process. This in turn, is communicated to our students before we actually are informed of the way forward, for any academic year as well as the process that need to be followed, in relation to the new changes that are to be implemented at our offices. Critical to these changes are time frames for implementation. We have throughout the past few years emphasized on the importance of communication from NSFAS to FAO’s, and sometimes it seems to have been ignored. To date the role of the FAO’s has not been clearly defined. The conference hopes to enlighten all of us on the way forward.

It is from this premise that FAPSA invites all member institutions and organizations to the 2019 and 18th FAPSA Conference., “#Free Education – The Impact”

Documents

Invitation to the 2019 conference | Conference programme| Presentation by FAPSA president Alberto Lai-Wing | FAPSA presentation to TVET sector | NSFAS presentation to TVET sector

The FAPSA 2018 conference was held at the Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg, Johannesburg

Conference Theme: “#Free Education – The Impact”
Co-Hosted by: Vaal University of Technology (VUT), Tshwane South TVET College & Ekhuruleni East Coast TVET College
FAPSA, since 2001 has always played a pivotal role in determining what the Best Practices would be in assisting Financial Aid Offices and also the Best Processes in assisting NSFAS and Donors alike in the management, administration and allocation of funds within the industry. Over the past few years we have been subjected to numerous changes within the industry, taking into account the student centred model of NSFAS, “Central Application System”, “#FeesMustFall”, system requirements, changes in how we operate within our sector, etc. Change has always been accepted within our sector, as we all believe in changing for the betterment and to improve the way we administer our funding nationally in compliance with the sponsors rules. We as FAPSA have been subjected to numerous changes over the past few years and the ultimate roll out of the new on-line system for all HEI’s and TVET’s. We have however all been affected by the statement made by our President in relation to Free Education and hence our theme for this year’s conference, “#Free Education – The Impact”

Documents

Invitation to the 2018 conference | Presentation by FAPSA president Alberto Lai-Wing | Fapsa 2018 conference booklet | Keynote speech by Minister Pandor | 2018 Commissions resolutions report | 2018 Organisational report

The FAPSA 2017 conference was held at the Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel, Durban.

Conference Theme: “#Free Education and our role”
Co-Hosted by: University of Kwazulu Natal (UKZN) & Mongosothu University of Technology (MUT)
FAPSA, since 2001 has always played a pivotal role in determining what the Best Practices would be in assisting Financial Aid Offices and also the Best Processes in assisting NSFAS and Donors alike in the management, administration and allocation of funds within the industry. Over the past few years we have been subjected to numerous changes within the industry, taking into account the student centred model of NSFAS, “Central Application System”, “#FeesMustFall”, system requirements, changes in how we operate within our sector, etc. Change has always been accepted within our sector, as we all believe in changing for the betterment and to improve the way we administer our funding nationally in compliance with the sponsors rules. We as FAPSA have been subjected to numerous changes over the past few years and the ultimate roll out of the new on-line system for all HEI’s and TVET’s. This was a new “animal” that needed all of us to change the way we have to administer funding hence our theme for this year’s conference, #Free Education and our role?

Documents

 Invitation to the 2017 conference | Presentation by FAPSA president Alberto Lai-Wing | Fapsa 2017 conference booklet | Conference programme |  Higher education bursaries- Daphney Nemakhavhani  | BMR Missing middle income classifications.pdf | Minutes of the NSFAS-FAPSA meeting 2017-03-01 |  Missing middle income formula |  NSFAS presentation registrars forum |  NSFAS presentation  – day 2 |  Student funding gap in SA – The Missing Middle – Standard-Bank-SA |  The role of the FET sector in the in the Post School Education and Training system -JJ Mbana.pdf |  2016-2017 NSFAS close off report

The FAPSA 2016 conference was held at the International Convention Centre (ICC), East London.

Conference Theme: “#Crossroads: Where to next?”
Co-Hosted by: Walter Sisulu University (WSU) & University of Fort Hare (UFH)
FAPSA since 2001 has always played a pivotal role in determining what the Best Practices would be in assisting Financial Aid Offices as well as what the Best Processes would be in assisting NSFAS and Donors alike in the management, administration and allocation of funds within the industry. Over the past few years we have been subjected to numerous changes within the industry, taking into account the student centred model of NSFAS, “Central Application System”, system requirements, changes in how we operate within our sector, etc. Change has always been accepted within our sector as we all believe in changing for the betterment and to improve the way we administer our funding nationally in compliance with our sponsors rules. We as FAPSA have been subjected to numerous changes over the years and thus our theme for this year’s conference, #Crossroads: Where to next?

Documents

 Invitation to the 2016 conference | FAPSA president Alberto Lai-Wing – report  | Conference programme |  2016 FAPSA Accommodation Listing | Communique on the decisions made by Government | Minutes of the 2015 FAPSA conference AGM |  FAPSA Presentation – Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training 2016 |  Adapt IT NSFAS Development | NSFAS presentation |  NSFAS FAPSA Presentation 28 June 2016 – day 2 |  NSFAS Historic Kgodiso Presentation-FAPSA June 2016 | NSFAS FAPSA Meeting 1 March 2017 – Closing remarks |  NSFAS FAO and SSS Engagements 2016-06-15 | Feedback Breakaway Session 1 |  ISFAP Funding presentation |  TVET Presentation  |  Van Schaicks Bookshop Company Profile

The FAPSA 2015 conference was held at the Cape Sun Conference Centre, Cape Town.

Conference Theme: “#Financial Aid – Rising above change in unity
Co-Hosted by: TBC
Documents

Conference programme |  Minutes of the 2014 Annual General Meeting |  Concept document – SLDC project.pdf |  Circular 30- 2015 – Academic Year 2013-2014 Historic Debt and 2015 Shortfall |  FAPSA 2nd Media Release 2015-10-20|  Edu Loan Presentation  |  FAPSA Constitution and Change Recommendations and Corrections 2015 |  FAPSA AGM Meeting Notice-2015-06-02 |  FAPSA Annual Financial Statements 2014 | Address by the new FAPSA President-Alberto Lai Wing -2018-07-01 |  NSFAS Gala dinner programme

The FAPSA 2014 conference was held at the University of Pretoria Conference Centre, Hatfield Campus, Pretoria, Gauteng.

Conference Theme: “Embracing Change”
Co-Hosted by: University of Pretoria (UP), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)  and University of South Africa (UNISA)

Since the inception of NSFAS in 1996, Financial Aid offices at institutions played a pivotal role in assisting students with application forms, capturing and running means test to assess the students to assist NSFAS to determine the eligibility for students to qualify for funding. In the last few years Further Education and training institutions came on board getting millions of rand to assist student with bursary allocations. The capacity of NSFAS did not accommodate the additional workload and caused many problems at institutions. Institutions however found ways of dealing with these problems and could still service our students to the best of their ability.

Our conference in 2013 tried to address the implementation of the new student centred model by requesting NSFAS to address the challenges and concerns of our institutions and students at large. As we all aware this discussion/debate/information sharing did not go as planned. Very few questions could be address by the NSFAS delegation to the frustration of our delegates. The NSFAS however identified institutions to pilot this new system in 2014. As an organisation, FAPSA are not opposed to the system and the challenges that we will face. It is thus important that we need to embrace the changes and deal with the challenges as we have done in the past. Five institutions were nominated to be part of the pilot namely, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU, Comprehensive institution), University of Cape Town (UCT, Traditional university), Venda university (Traditional university), University of South Africa (UNISA, correspondence university) and Durban university of Technology (DUT, University of Technology).
As institutions numerous challenges were identified during the pilot and we would like to discuss and share these challenges to carve a way forward to prevent it from re-occurring should the pilot project and the role out of this model continue.

It is from this premise that FAPSA invites all member institutions and organizations to the 2014 FAPSA Conference and the 13th AGM. Registration fee is inclusive of the FAPSA Membership Fee, which entitles each member full participation and voting at the AGM.

Please note that there is No Limit to the number of delegates per University/University of Technology/FET College/Educational NGO. A maximum of 2 delegates per Provincial Dept. of Education and any other organization invited.
Documents

Invitation to the 2014 conference |  Conference programme |  NSFAS presentation | Feedback of breakaway session 1|  Feedback of breakaway session 3|  FAPSA AGM 2015 meeting notice |  FAPSA Annual Financial Statements 2012 |  Closing remarks