The University of Pretoria (UP) welcomes the announcement of the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, regarding the tuition fees for the 2017 academic year for the clarity it brings. While the proposed steps will go a long way in making education more affordable, not only for poor students but also the so called 'missing middle', more still needs to be done to make education more accessible.

An important part of the announcement is that the government will pay for the fee adjustments of all poor, working and middle class families – those with a household income of up to R600 000 per annum. This means that all NSFAS qualifying students, as well as the so-called 'missing middle' from - families with an annual income of less than R600 000 - will experience no fee increase in 2017.

We recognise that the announcement is an interim measure applicable to 2017. We await the outcome of the investigations of the Presidential Commission regarding the feasibility of free education for the poor. We remain committed to work with all parties in ensuring better funding for tertiary education so as to make university education more accessible to all students.

The UP is busy assessing the full implications of the decision and will engage all its stakeholders on how to take this forward. No decision has yet been made on the fee increase for students from families earning more than R600 000 per year.