The HCF team attended the second IPASA Higher Education Funder Seminar, titled “Higher Education Funding in Crisis,” held at the Wits Business School. This event was jointly hosted by the Independent Philanthropy Association South Africa (IPASA) and The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI). The seminar focused on funding solutions for student access and success and brought together delegates from higher education funding institutions and representatives from universities across South Africa.
The purpose of the seminar was to address the leading challenges faced by NSFAS students, missing middle students, and universities. Representatives from Universities South Africa (USAf) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) outlined the current funding challenges in their respective sectors.
The seminar featured a panel discussion with participants from the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation, the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation Trust, and Linda Whitfield, who shared experiences from the Harry Crossley Foundation and the Doris Crossley Foundation. The panellists, along with representatives and university officials, engaged in a productive dialogue, exploring potential solutions, opportunities, and collective interventions for moving forward.
It was agreed that increased communication and collaboration between universities and funders is essential to ensure that funding is used more effectively in addressing these challenges. A follow-up seminar will be organized to continue the conversation and explore further interventions aimed at resolving these issues and promoting student access and success.