**TL;DR – With the recent flaring up of student protests (and universities being forced to shutdown) across various provinces in South Africa due to NSFAS unfunding them, it's apparent that this bursary programme is becoming an instrument towards financial exclusion in South Africa – most likely as a result of financial misconduct .** The [National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a South African government student financial aid scheme was established in 1996]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Student_Financial_Aid_Scheme) to provide financial aid to poor undergraduate students – to help them pay for the cost of their tertiary education after finishing high school. And while this might have been the objective initially, it’s evident that NSFAS has fallen pray to corruption and as such such has become misguided. This at least, in part, highlights that NSFAS is responsible for the current financial exclusion situation. However, this also contributes towards a certain misguided image, lending the public and all the rest of the people to believe that it is corrupt. This is in fact not case. [NSFAS as the institution itself, is not corrupt]( https://ewn.co.za/2019/10/10/arrests-of-three-nsfas-ct-employees-won-t-impact-2020-applications). Rather, the various individuals who are in charge of and responsible for the everyday duties and overall management of tasks are. [Further evidence] (https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-03-12-up-to-r2bn-paid-by-nsfas-to-wrong-students-could-be-irrecoverable/) of this can be seen in the *maladministration of funds, which points to something more than just negligent and irresponsible behavior.* This has however, not stopped students from various institutions such as [WITS](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-17-unprecedented-number-of-students-at-risk-of-financial-exclusion-says-wits-src/) and [UCT] (https://www.groundup.org.za/article/uct-students-join-protest-against-financial-exclusion/) [once again taking to the streets and protesting](https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/students-plan-shutdown-of-26-universities-to-highlight-issue-of-financial-exclusion-20210315) what they (and the rest of the country) see as [financial exclusion from NSFAS]( https://www.careersportal.co.za/news/will-nsfas-unfunding-thousands-lead-to-financial-exclusions) – since it’s made the decision to withdraw the funding of thousands of students. Likewise, the EFF Students Command confirms that this is indeed, a very real possibility. What's more, they also hold NSFAS Administrator, Randall Carolissen – who supports the financial aid scheme's decision, responsible for this as well. Even going as far as calling him, “… a "spineless charlatan…" Who “continues to be a thorn in the lives of poor students.” Most importantly, the EFF Students Command have pointed out that NSFAS is representing a "failing leadership that continues to terrorize the black and marginalized." So since it’s apparent that NSFAS’s decision to unfund thousands of students will most likely lead to more financial exclusions than financial inclusions, [the government and even the Higher Education Department](https://www.iol.co.za/education/universities/only-teamwork-can-solve-sas-student-funding-crisis-d7833f27-1945-4b1c-af44-028d17b77371) are to be held accountable – especially since it's funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training. So while [government's commitment to free education is admirable](https://www.fundi.co.za/fundiconnect/is-free-education-for-everyone/) – establishing NSFAS to assist those who do not have the financial means to fund their studies and cannot access bank funding, study loans or other bursaries, it's clear that there are still many "kinks" that need to be worked out and addressed. Chief among them the issue of transparency and the overall unprofessional conduct of both the employers and employees that represent NSFAS.