Tuks Scholarship Fund on a mission to change lives in 2016

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The #FeesMustFall campaign that took place towards the end of 2015 once again highlighted the fact that many students are constrained by their inability to afford higher education and, as a result, the country as a whole is deprived of the contribution they might make if they were provided with the opportunity to access and complete their studies.
The University of Pretoria (UP) is committed to supporting its students both academically and otherwise, and in so doing, help them to make the most of the opportunities afforded by the experience of a higher education. With this in mind, the Tuks Scholarship Fund (TSF), established by the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Cheryl De la Rey, is on a mission to raise funds for deserving students in 2016.

The Tuks Scholarship Fund has been changing the lives of UP students since 2013 and, through various campaigns and events organised by the TSF team, the fund’s donor base has steadily increased over the years. At the University itself, the fund has been well received, with UP staff and more than 95% of the Executive and Leadership making regular contributions to the fund. Individual donors really can make a positive difference and if we all give what we can, we can make it count.
To date, 33 deserving students have benefited from the fund and with the continued support of donors, it will ultimately be in a position to provide more students with full bursaries.

Consider making a difference to the lives of deserving students by donating to the Tuks Scholarship Fund today. Whatever the level of your giving – whether it is a hundred or a hundred thousand rand – your support is valued by the University of Pretoria and the deserving beneficiaries of your generosity.

Should you require any additional information concerning the Tuks Scholarship Fund, please contact Mrs Cheryl Benadie, Senior Development Officer: Advancement, in the UP Department of University Relations by sending an email to cheryl.benadie@up.ac.za. Alternatively, click here to access a pdf brochure containing information on the fund, as well as some wonderful success stories from a few of our past Tuks Scholarship Fund beneficiaries, or visit the Tuks Scholarship Fund web page.

Study in South Africa

If you want to experience life in one of the most diverse and complex countries in the world, you may choose to study in South Africa. Since the 1990s, following legislation to overturn decades of enforced racial segregation, South Africa has made significant progress in developing a more democratic society, in which diversity is celebrated as a central part of national identity. There are, for example, 11 official languages (only Bolivia and India have more), and the country is nicknamed the “rainbow nation” in recognition of its unique multicultural character.
There are still many problems to be addressed in South Africa, including high rates of violent crime, poverty and HIV/AIDS. But the country excels in many areas, offering some of the world’s most striking natural scenery and wildlife, diverse and dynamic cities and towns – and a strong selection of leading universities with an international outlook.

Bring disabilities to the fore of student politics

Mental health and disability must play a much larger role in the drive towards making UCT inclusive and accessible, members of the campus community heard at the UCT for Disability Justice gathering on 26 January.

Safety, justice and healing: Student Kanyisa Ntombini, chair of UCT for Disability Justice, hands a list of demands to Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price at a gathering outside Bremner Building on 26 January.

Student activist Kanyisa Ntombini chaired the meeting, held outside the Bremner Building, and a list of demands from students was handed to Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price.
Among these demands were calls for reviews of the university’s disability policy, the Disability Unit and its resources and services, as well as the Student Wellness Services where students say more psychologists are needed to meet demand, especially black psychologists.
The list also highlighted inadequacies in facilities such as lecture theatres, bathrooms, residences and ramps and rails. It identified problems in the university’s current extra time and leave of absence policies, which present barriers to students coping with mental health challenges such as anxiety disorder and depression and post traumatic stress syndrome.
The memorandum called for a greater sensitisation of UCT staff and students, particularly first-year students.
Several students shared their experiences of prejudice, discouragement and isolation as a result of disability or their mental health status. Others wrote to tell their stories.
One student spoke of the “profound lack of understanding” about mental illness at UCT and the lack of a policy to substantially address the issues.
Student activist Busi Mkhumbuzi said: “Accessibility must be at the front and centre of student politics. When we say we need to make our universities more accessible to students we’re including race, social status, disability and a host of things that comprise our identity.
“Last year we saw the Rhodes Must Fall, Fees Must Fall and Patriarchy Must Fall movements, challenging things like racism, classism and sexism. But I don’t think we’ve seen a radical or a strong conversation about ableism or about disability at UCT. That means we have not addressed the issue in totality.”

List of universities in South Africa

This is a list of universities in South Africa. For the purposes of this list, colleges and universities are defined as accredited, degree-granting, post-secondary institutions. In 2004 South Africa started reforming its higher education system,^[1] merging and incorporating small universities into larger institutions, and renaming all higher education institutions "university" (previously there had been several types of higher education institution). The country's universities and "technikons" which were incorporated with others and thus no longer exist are listed at the end of the article.