The adequacy of national student financial aid scheme towards qualification completion at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- Authors: Nzuzo, Nomakhaya Olivia
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Student financial aid administration -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Dropouts -- Prevention , Student aid -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8291 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018686
- Description: NSFAS is a government-funded scheme that was established in 1996 with the objective of assisting financially needy students who are able to perform well academically, but are financially disadvantaged, and cannot afford higher education. The scheme was introduced as a mechanism to develop the country’s human capital and to also eradicate inequalities leading to poverty, crime, skill shortages and high levels of unemployment. This research was encouraged by the realization of the high drop-out rates amongst students funded by NSFAS. The research, therefore, wanted to investigate the adequacy of NSFAS in qualification completion, specifically at NMMU. In order to elicit responses from participants, a mixed method, with both quantitative and qualitative approaches was preferred. Questionnaires containing closed and open-ended questions were used as instruments for collecting data from participants. The study used a selected group of participants, with certain characteristics; and hence, the study was a purposive study. Five main areas were formulated as a framework to present the findings. The five areas involved the economic background of parents of NSFAS recipients, challenges faced by NSFAS recipients, as well as to determine whether NSFAS recipients were motivated to work hard as a result of attaining financial assistance. The last two areas involved reasons for NSFAS recipients to drop out and lastly the available support for NSFAS recipients. In relation to the economic background of parents of NSFAS recipients, findings revealed that almost 50 percent of their guardians were employed, with 26 percent of them being in skilled positions. The challenges faced by NSFAS recipients, were revealed, as being both academic and financial. About 52 percent of participants did not obtain full funding; and therefore, were expected to contribute towards their uncovered expenses. These participants were eventually faced with financial challenges that led them to drop out. To determine whether participants were motivated to work hard, as a result of acquiring financial assistance from NSFAS, about 52 percent of participants agreed to have received financial relief from NSFAS, but were not motivated to work hard. Findings revealed different reasons that led students funded by NSFAS to drop out before qualifying. The reasons included less Lecturer support (17.6 percent), unbearable workload (51.8 percent), bad qualification choice and financial challenges (21.4 percent). The last main area focused on available support from NSFAS as an Organisation to its recipients. Findings revealed no structured support system in place from NSFAS that was directed specifically to see its recipients succeed. Findings of the study can be used to identify students funded by NSFAS who might drop out before finishing their intended qualification. The findings could also guide NSFAS on what the student requirements are – in order to qualify. Recommendations on drop-out reductions and retention successes from local and international countries are provided. Further recommendations directed to NSFAS as a provider and it’s recipients are also provided.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Nzuzo, Nomakhaya Olivia
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Student financial aid administration -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Dropouts -- Prevention , Student aid -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8291 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018686
- Description: NSFAS is a government-funded scheme that was established in 1996 with the objective of assisting financially needy students who are able to perform well academically, but are financially disadvantaged, and cannot afford higher education. The scheme was introduced as a mechanism to develop the country’s human capital and to also eradicate inequalities leading to poverty, crime, skill shortages and high levels of unemployment. This research was encouraged by the realization of the high drop-out rates amongst students funded by NSFAS. The research, therefore, wanted to investigate the adequacy of NSFAS in qualification completion, specifically at NMMU. In order to elicit responses from participants, a mixed method, with both quantitative and qualitative approaches was preferred. Questionnaires containing closed and open-ended questions were used as instruments for collecting data from participants. The study used a selected group of participants, with certain characteristics; and hence, the study was a purposive study. Five main areas were formulated as a framework to present the findings. The five areas involved the economic background of parents of NSFAS recipients, challenges faced by NSFAS recipients, as well as to determine whether NSFAS recipients were motivated to work hard as a result of attaining financial assistance. The last two areas involved reasons for NSFAS recipients to drop out and lastly the available support for NSFAS recipients. In relation to the economic background of parents of NSFAS recipients, findings revealed that almost 50 percent of their guardians were employed, with 26 percent of them being in skilled positions. The challenges faced by NSFAS recipients, were revealed, as being both academic and financial. About 52 percent of participants did not obtain full funding; and therefore, were expected to contribute towards their uncovered expenses. These participants were eventually faced with financial challenges that led them to drop out. To determine whether participants were motivated to work hard, as a result of acquiring financial assistance from NSFAS, about 52 percent of participants agreed to have received financial relief from NSFAS, but were not motivated to work hard. Findings revealed different reasons that led students funded by NSFAS to drop out before qualifying. The reasons included less Lecturer support (17.6 percent), unbearable workload (51.8 percent), bad qualification choice and financial challenges (21.4 percent). The last main area focused on available support from NSFAS as an Organisation to its recipients. Findings revealed no structured support system in place from NSFAS that was directed specifically to see its recipients succeed. Findings of the study can be used to identify students funded by NSFAS who might drop out before finishing their intended qualification. The findings could also guide NSFAS on what the student requirements are – in order to qualify. Recommendations on drop-out reductions and retention successes from local and international countries are provided. Further recommendations directed to NSFAS as a provider and it’s recipients are also provided.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The impact of service quality perceptions on the service delivery of a financial aid office at a metropolitan university
- Authors: Gallant, Brian
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Student aid -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Finance , Student loans -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8711 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/955 , Student aid -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Finance , Student loans -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Greater access to education for many South Africans is inextricably linked to the development of the country and its collective ability to deal with the many socio– economic challenges it presently faces. The availability of financial aid at Higher Education Institutions to support financially needy and academically deserving students as part of a comprehensive programme to address the need for skills development, socio–economic backlogs and imbalances that exist in the country is supported by various Government Departments, private donors and Higher Education Institutions. Financial Aid Offices responsible for the distribution of both public and private donor funding, face various challenges at South African universities in their endeavours to render quality service and prompt service delivery to their clients, the students who are the recipients of this funding. The present study attempts to identify the most important service quality dimensions relevant to effective and efficient service delivery in the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Furthermore, this study aims to assess the performance of the Financial Aid Office to provide possible recommendations with a view to improving service delivery at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Against this background, the primary objective of this study is to measure financial aid students’ perceptions of service quality with a Financial Aid Office at a Higher Education Institution and estimate the effect these perceptions have on service delivery. All bursary and loan awardees from 2008, that is, only students who were successful in their financial aid applications for 2008, were invited to collect and complete a questionnaire at the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. v The measuring instrument used was a self-administered, structured questionnaire divided into two sections. Section A measured service quality perceptions of the Financial Aid Office of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and Section B measured personal data of the respondents. A total of 500 questionnaires was distributed of which 228 were returned, yielding a final sample of 204 that could be statistically analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the empirical results. Overall, the results show that respondents were, by and large, satisfied with the service rendered by the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Thus, perceptions of the five service quality dimensions measured in this study were favourable, implying that respondents did not have any major problems with the present service offering of the Financial Aid Office. It is important to note that while these results indicate favourable perceptions of service quality of the Financial Aid office at one point in time, they will not necessarily be permanent. The Financial Aid Office must therefore ensure that it continues to build on this valuable strength. Specifically, the Financial Aid Office should continue delivering this level of quality of service and concentrate on improving the service quality of the items in the questionnaire with the lowest mean scores. Service quality is an important construct and needs to be assessed in Financial Aid Offices to ensure the desired outcome of producing more graduates, especially from financially needy and academically deserving backgrounds. Students, as customers, deserve the best service, as they would expect from any other service provider such as a bank or a supermarket. The strengths of this Financial Aid Office can serve to assist other universities in providing a positive student experience through the delivery of a quality service.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Gallant, Brian
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Student aid -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Finance , Student loans -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8711 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/955 , Student aid -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Finance , Student loans -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Greater access to education for many South Africans is inextricably linked to the development of the country and its collective ability to deal with the many socio– economic challenges it presently faces. The availability of financial aid at Higher Education Institutions to support financially needy and academically deserving students as part of a comprehensive programme to address the need for skills development, socio–economic backlogs and imbalances that exist in the country is supported by various Government Departments, private donors and Higher Education Institutions. Financial Aid Offices responsible for the distribution of both public and private donor funding, face various challenges at South African universities in their endeavours to render quality service and prompt service delivery to their clients, the students who are the recipients of this funding. The present study attempts to identify the most important service quality dimensions relevant to effective and efficient service delivery in the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Furthermore, this study aims to assess the performance of the Financial Aid Office to provide possible recommendations with a view to improving service delivery at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Against this background, the primary objective of this study is to measure financial aid students’ perceptions of service quality with a Financial Aid Office at a Higher Education Institution and estimate the effect these perceptions have on service delivery. All bursary and loan awardees from 2008, that is, only students who were successful in their financial aid applications for 2008, were invited to collect and complete a questionnaire at the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. v The measuring instrument used was a self-administered, structured questionnaire divided into two sections. Section A measured service quality perceptions of the Financial Aid Office of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and Section B measured personal data of the respondents. A total of 500 questionnaires was distributed of which 228 were returned, yielding a final sample of 204 that could be statistically analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the empirical results. Overall, the results show that respondents were, by and large, satisfied with the service rendered by the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Thus, perceptions of the five service quality dimensions measured in this study were favourable, implying that respondents did not have any major problems with the present service offering of the Financial Aid Office. It is important to note that while these results indicate favourable perceptions of service quality of the Financial Aid office at one point in time, they will not necessarily be permanent. The Financial Aid Office must therefore ensure that it continues to build on this valuable strength. Specifically, the Financial Aid Office should continue delivering this level of quality of service and concentrate on improving the service quality of the items in the questionnaire with the lowest mean scores. Service quality is an important construct and needs to be assessed in Financial Aid Offices to ensure the desired outcome of producing more graduates, especially from financially needy and academically deserving backgrounds. Students, as customers, deserve the best service, as they would expect from any other service provider such as a bank or a supermarket. The strengths of this Financial Aid Office can serve to assist other universities in providing a positive student experience through the delivery of a quality service.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
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