Despite the president freezing fee increments for 2016 there are still students having difficulty affording the current fees and student costs; students who sleep in libraries, go to bed on empty stomachs and will face financial exclusions in January because of debt and inability to pay registration fees.
Cybatar, a Gauteng-based tech startup has launched a non-profit initiative dubbed #RescueAstudent or #RAS under which it developed EduFund, a crowdfunding platform for university scholarships, bursaries and grants. The platform will help all students raise funds from the public to top up the amount they receive from government, students with parents in the working middle-class who do not qualify for financial aid but still barely make it through student costs and foreign students studying in
South Africa who can’t afford tuition fees.
According to Phiwa Nkambule, Cybatar Founder & CEO, the current student financing system is dominated by loans, bursaries and scholarships most of which leave students in what we call “black
debt†after graduation. EduFund differs from these other available funds in that it non-discriminatory and does not leave the student in any debt except a social pledge they make to help other students
on the platform in the future.
Decentralization of student financing is vital and will be more effective considering the challenges government is facing funding everyone and the scarcity of bursaries.
EduFund Features
– Profile Creation
– Campaign Creation
– Contribution
Availability
EduFund is a web app and is available for all internet accessing devices for free, all over the world.
Website Link: http://edu.cybatar.com
Additional Information
Fundraising is only open to students on South African universities at the moment.
About Cybatar
Cybatar is a software start-up that uses next generation technologies to change lives. The company is
built on the foundation of innovation, creativity and relevance and all its creations are tailored in that
direction.
Founded only in 2014, the startup has a nomination at the African Corporate Excellence Awards
2015. Cybatar has offices Sandton (Corporate HQ), Silver Lakes, Pretoria (Product Development)
and Hatfield, Pretoria (Customer Development).
Press Contact
Phiwa Nkambule – Co-founder & CEO
Mobile: 073 751 8014
Email: Phiwa.nk@cybatar.com
Twitter: @PhiwaNk
Website: http://whoswho.co.za/sicelo-nkambule-1268052