Damelin students worried they won’t get their money back

Students at Damelin College say they’re concerned they won’t get their money back amid ongoing setbacks at the institution.

They claim they learnt from the media over the pending shutdown of their institution and three of its sister colleges.

Last week, the Department of Higher Education announced it would be deregistering Damelin College, CityVarsity, Lyceum and Icesa for non-compliance.

Now, thousands of students at the private colleges across the country will be in need of places to study.

Speaking at a media briefing today, Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande said government would be failing to protect the rights of students if it allowed the Educor-owned institutions to continue operating.

The deregistration of the Damelin, CityVarsity, Icesa City Campus and Lyceum College follows Educor’s failure to submit audited financial statements for the 2021 and 2022 annual reports pic.twitter.com/UIun1Up4km

— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) March 26, 2024

Amid questions of capacity and what will happen to already enrolled students, Nzimande told student they would be allowed to continue their studies and slowly be phased out by the end of next year.

Educor, the body which owns the institutions, is said to have been facing financial difficulties since 2020.

Students have slammed the organisation and its institutions for alleged lack of transparency on the issues.

What’s sad about this Damelin situation is that we always advice kids/parents in January to avoid fly-by-night colleges while encouraging them to go to reputable colleges, Damelin being top of those. I hope they sort their mess out cos state institutions can’t absorb everyone.

— Nchema (@ShottaZee) March 26, 2024

The young people have accused administrators of failing to provide clear guidance as they scramble to get their tuition back or find alternative education. Written by Naomi Kobbie