NSFAS sent a student R14m, she loses it by going viral

Update: The university told EWN yesterday that she had the money for five months, while the student and chief executive of IntelliMali told The Star she acquired the funds in June.

Original article: It’s a common meme among students that they’re looking to get hit by a car so they can sue, pay off their loans, and get a good amount of time away from school. But one lucky student in the Eastern Cape didn’t even need the pain to get that pleasure.

The Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape has confirmed it accidentally sent a student R14-million straight to her debit account — and only noticed when she started posting her receipts online.

The student, who should have been receiving some kind of bursary allowance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), received the money five months ago and has been living it up ever since. It is believed she spent over R500 000.

It seems she may have kept it up, too, were it not for her need to boast on social media — where it seems most are judging her.

“NSFAS” was trending on Twitter Wednesday morning, with many decrying its carelessness and the fact that R14-million could have paid many a tuition.

NSFAS has been an important part of the conversation of free education over the past two years as students have protested across the country — and this debacle hints at an air of indifference on the scheme’s part at best, and at worst points to a bigger problem of corruption.

NSFAS, whose financial aid functions as a loan, says that the student will have to “repay every cent of the money spent even if it takes 20 years to do so” — but one user has offered up advice.

Unfortunately for the student (or not, depending on where you stand), many have criticised her spending — but some don’t buy the righteousness.

What would you do if R14-million mysteriously found its way into your bank account?

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