UFS saga: Management reaches agreement with student representatives

The University of the Free State (UFS) has reached an agreement with student representatives that a contentious new policy will only be implemented in two years.

The policy stipulates that students who owe the institution will no longer be allowed to provisionally register.

Thursday’s resolution means next year (2026), students with debt can still be absorbed into the system.

Students rejected the policy announcement last week, which was to be immediately implemented and staged a protest action at the QwaQwa campus.

The university and student representatives have concluded that only after two years can the management implement its policy that stipulates that students with outstanding debt cannot be provisionally registered.

Starting on Thursday, staff at the Bloemfontein and South Campus are returning to campus.

However, the QwaQwa campus remains closed as the investigation into the damage to property and arson case continues.

The UFS’s spokesperson, Lacea Loader, explained: “Academic staff will return to campus in a phased approach and also applied as programme demands, the deans of our faculties will manage this process and communicate with students.”

Students continue with online learning.