I have a feeling many of the protesters do not realise free or affordable university education does not mean obtaining a free or affordable degree and therefore being financially better off. You still actually need to meet academic entry requirements and pass three years of exams to obtain the degree.
Yes, costs of university education is high, I agree and lowering the cost would be great. But the purpose of university education is not to make up for a lack of basic school education. Even if you can go to university for free does not mean you wil obtain a degree. A big portion of the population have access to low cost or free high school education but still only a fraction end up with matric. So the problem is not the cost but the quality of the education. Because of government screwing up the school system, a matric, even if you have it means squat, now people need further education to get somewhere...but a poor basic level of schooling wont allow you entrance to university as chances that you will be able to master the course is very very low. Free or not.
People are fixated with the cost of resident universities, which are inflated in the media by the way. The average cost for a year at Stellies is about R40k for undergraduate. What makes it expensive is the cost of accommodation which can be R60k per year. Now, if you dont live in Stellenbosch and want to attend class there, then there is not much you can complain about when it comes to accommodation. R60k per year in that regard including food is not much. Otherwise choose a university closer to you or rather spend the money on transport.
Another point that gets no attention is Unisa which offers distance learning at a fraction of a cost. The same R35k course will set you back R12k or so for the full years modules, or as little as R6k if you want to spread it out over a longer period. So you can have access to tertiary education for a fraction of the price without having to worry about accommodation plus you can work while studying. 400 000 students attend Unisa, with Stellies only having 30 000. There should be more focus on the role that Unisa plays in access to tertiary access and to try and close the gap between the cost compared to other uni's. Maybe bridge the gap somehow or between resident uni's and distance learning.
All I hear is people complaining how they cant afford the R90k or whatever university fees, but no-one talks about rather going the Unisa route for a fraction of the price. It seems like it is either US, UCT or Wits at R90k per year or otherwise no tertiary education at all. I do realise some qualifications are not offered at Unisa such as medicine, law and full engineering, but to get access to those courses and be successfull in passing, one should not have a problem to obtain a bursary or student loan, ie to be accepted for medicine and to pass, you need good matric results, which should allow you access to bursaries or financing.
