Deadline looming for Witsies looking to graduate in March

by | Feb 20, 2019 | Featured 1

By Onke Ngcuka and Phumi Ramalepe

Students looking to participate in March graduation ceremonies have until 3pm on Wednesday February, 20 to settle their outstanding fees. Those students with debt of less than R15 000 are also able to sign Acknowledgement of Debt (AOD) in order to secure a place in the graduation ceremonies which run from March 20 to March 29.

This is according to fees officer Sihaam Mahomed who added that, “Once you sign the AOD, there’s no interest. You can pay off the fees monthly on a payment plan designed for each student. So you’re signing off to no interest”.

BAccSci graduate Mxolisi Ndlovu who has outstanding fees said that he managed to sign the AOD on Tuesday, February 19.

“I owe R4 100. I was on a bursary but … I owed R68 000 and my bursary only covered R60 000. I paid the other amount by myself and now I’m left with R4 100,” Ndlovu said. Mohamed said that some students are also able to secure their graduation spots by presenting a letter to the Wits Fees Office.

“If you have a letter saying that the bursary will pay the fees, then you can come with that letter and you will be able to graduate,” Mahomed said.

“If you are unable to pay the fees, you cannot graduate. If you are on NSFAS, we tell you to contact NSFAS and then go to Financial Aid and ask for a letter with some sort of proof that they (NSFAS) will pay,” he added.

BSc Geologoy graduate told Wits Vuvuzela, “I have managed to sign the AOD and my fees are approximately R18 223. I was funded by NSFAS and went [to the Financial Aid and Scholarships office] yesterday and [NSFAS] said they would pay the full amount. Now I’m gonna be able to graduate”.

The process of allowing students to sign an AOD started on Monday, February11.