Students Win Seat at the Table: Nsfas Formally Recognises SRCs in Accommodation Decisions

For years, student housing has been a flashpoint on South African campusesa source of protest, exclusion, and financial anguish. Students have been expelled from private residences for non-payment caused by Nsfas delays. Others have watched accommodation allocations unfold behind closed doors, with no voice in decisions that directly affect their living conditions and academic futures.

That dynamic is about to change.

Following sustained pressure from the South African Union of Students (Saus) and student movements nationwide, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has issued Circular Notice No 3 of 2026, formally recognising the role of student representative councils (SRCs) in the placement of students in Nsfas-managed accommodation.

What the Circular Changes

The new directive is unequivocal: SRCs will now have the right to be consulted on accommodation issues and to provide input on both university-owned residences and private accredited housing, including their physical conditions. They will also participate in accommodation oversight teams at campuses, giving them a platform to convey student complaints directly to decision-makers.

Critically, when placing students in accommodation, their preferences will be considereda shift from the often-opaque, top-down allocations that have left many students feeling powerless.

The circular also mandates zero tolerance for corruption, bribery, and exploitation within the accommodation system, a provision aimed at curbing the predatory practices that have emerged in the private housing market servicing students.

A Victory for Student Leadership

Siyabonga Nkambako, president of Saus, welcomed the announcement as a landmark achievement.

“This represents a significant policy shift that affirms SRCs as legitimate and essential stakeholders in student accommodation governance,” he said.

The move comes after years of advocacy by Saus and its affiliates, who argued that excluding student leaders from accommodation decisions perpetuated inefficiency, inequity, and abuse. With SRCs now embedded in oversight structures, the hope is that problems will be identified earlier and solutions shaped by those who know the conditions bestthe students themselves.

The Crisis Behind the Change

The need for reform is urgent. Student housing remains one of the most persistent barriers to access and success in higher education.

• Financial exclusion leaves thousands unable to secure accommodation each year.

• Nsfas payment delays have resulted in students being evicted from private residences, their academic progress derailed by administrative failures.

• Private accommodation quality varies wildly, with students often forced to accept substandard conditions due to scarcity.

The new framework does not solve these problems overnight. But by giving SRCs a formal role in oversight and placement, it creates a mechanism for accountability that has been conspicuously absent.

What Comes Next

Implementation will be the true test. Nsfas must ensure that institutions and private accommodation providers adhere to the circular’s provisions. SRCs, many of which are overstretched and under-resourced, will need support to fulfil their new responsibilities effectively.

But the principle is now established: students are not passive recipients of housing policythey are partners in its design and oversight. For a generation that has fought for recognition, that is no small victory.

{Source: Citizen}

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