“It should not be, and it cannot be that an academically deserving young person will be deprived of an opportunity to receive quality and transformative education simply because they happened to have been born into a family of limited means,” said Rhodes University Vice Chancellor, Prof Sizwe Mabizela.

Prof Mabizela was speaking at a notable alumni Affinity Event in Gqeberha on the 19th of July, highlighting the University's ongoing efforts to address mounting student debt as one of its #RU120 fundraising priorities.

“We must, and we will remain true and faithful to our vision, mission, and purpose as a distinctive institution of higher learning, committed to fostering a better society and a better world,” said Prof Mabizela in calling on alumni and friends of the University to support its fundraising efforts.

The significant financial challenges posed by reduced government funding and increasing student debt, exacerbated by cuts to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), are considered a significant risk by Rhodes University. “The capping of student accommodation fees has meant that students who, more than most, need a safe environment to live and study in, opt for off-campus accommodation to limit their debt to the university and, in some cases, re-appropriate some of their living allowances to support their families. Such is the state of social need in our country,” said Prof Mabizela.

“We are very hopeful that the new government will tend to tend to the challenges of higher education,” he added.

While the national student debt burden is a whopping R17 billion, student debt at Rhodes University amounts to R321 million. One of the critical priorities of the #RU120 campaign is to raise funds for student debt initiatives, making the University’s launch of Unlocking Futures and an R100,000 scholarship initiative by Rhodes University alumnus and Google South Africa Country Director, Dr Alastair Mokoena all the more significant as part of broader efforts to create a world-class educational environment that attracts top academic and research talent.

Friends of the University can contribute to the RU120 fundraising efforts easily online, supporting initiatives that continue to build on Rhodes University’s storied legacy and promising future.