SCF - UNISA

📢 R316 Bursary — Is This Really Enough?

At University of South Africa (UNISA), students are receiving R316 as a bursary allowance.

Let’s pause there.
R316 in 2026 barely covers:
📶 A decent data bundle
🍞 A few groceries for a week
🚖 Transport for a couple of days

UNISA is a distance-learning institution. Our classroom is online. That means data is not optional. Study materials are not optional. Survival is not optional.

So the real question is:
Is R316 supporting students — or just ticking a box?

Many students rely fully on bursary funding. With rising food prices, load shedding costs, rent, and transport increases, R316 feels disconnected from the reality of student life.
This is not about complaining.

It’s about accountability and fairness.
If the goal is student success, funding must reflect the actual cost of studying.

💬 What does R316 realistically cover for you?
Let’s talk

what do you guys think about vanue based exams?

🚨 NO DATA = NO EDUCATION 🚨

fellow unisa students

We have been informed that students will only receive data during exams. But how are we supposed to prepare for those exams without data throughout the semester?
UNISA is a distance-learning institution. That means: 📚 Our classes are online.
📝 Our assignments are online.
📢 Announcements are online.
🧑🏽‍🏫 Communication with lecturers is online.
💻 Exams are online.

So why is data treated like a luxury instead of a necessity?

Giving students data only during exams is like opening the gate on the last day and expecting us to succeed. Education does not start in the exam room — it starts from the first day of the semester.

Many students cannot afford to buy data every week. Some are unemployed. Some rely on limited allowances. Some live in rural areas where connectivity is already a struggle.
This is not just about data.
This is about equality.
This is about fairness.
This is about our right to education.
We are not asking for favors.

We are asking for consistent access.
📢
📢
📢

Our future cannot depend on exam-season data

Fellow UNISA – University of South Africa Students

Let us unite and make our voices heard to drive meaningful change.

Even though UNISA is a distance learning institution, it remains a higher education institution like any other university in South Africa. This means that we, as UNISA students, deserve the same benefits, support, and recognition that students at other universities receive.

Currently, many of us receive a monthly living allowance of R316. Let us be honest — this amount is not enough.

Students are struggling to cover essential academic needs such as:
Traveling to campus or examination venues
Purchasing mobile data for online learning
Printing and buying research materials
Basic daily student necessities
How can we succeed academically when the basic support provided does not meet the real cost of being a student?
As UNISA students, we often feel overlooked. Our concerns are rarely addressed directly. Many of us are left with no option but to raise our frustrations on social media because formal channels seem slow or unresponsive.

Distance learning should not mean distant support.
We are students.
We are citizens.
We are the future of this country.
We demand:
Fair and realistic student allowances
Equal treatment compared to contact universities
Better communication and student engagement
Proper recognition of distance-learning challenges

It is time to correct the imbalance.
It is time for fairness.
It is time for student power.
Together, our voices are stronger.