THE University of the Free State (UFS) has suspended all on-campus academic activities across its three campuses following a week of student protests over a new registration requirement set to take effect in 2026.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the university said the protests – which turned violent at the Qwaqwa campus – were linked to the introduction of what it described as a “fairer, more equitable and sustainable” financial support framework for all students.
Under the new system, only students whose fees or funding have been confirmed will be fully registered.
Those funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will continue to register in full, while provisional registration – previously allowed for students with outstanding fees – will be phased out by the end of 2025.
The university said the policy aims to create greater financial stability and certainty for students, as well as to curb ballooning student debt that has reached nearly R1 billion over the past five years.
“For many years, the UFS was the only university in South Africa that allowed students to register while they still had outstanding fees,” the statement read.
“However, this practice has become unsustainable and has left many students burdened with unserviceable debt at graduation.”
The situation escalated on the evening of 13 October when a group of students at the Qwaqwa campus allegedly vandalised university property, set fires and injured several security officers.
Three guards remain hospitalised.
The UFS Executive Management Committee (Exco) has since closed the Qwaqwa campus and ordered all students to vacate the premises within 24 hours.
“The university strongly condemns the violent and destructive behaviour displayed during these incidents,” said the statement.
“Exco expresses its deep concern about the situation and is currently assessing the full extent of the damage.”
On the Bloemfontein and South campuses, the university has suspended all in-person lectures “until further notice”.
Since 9 October, the UFS has moved classes online to minimise academic disruption.
Amid the unrest, the university dismissed as false reports circulating on social media claiming that a student had died during the QwaQwa protest.
“These reports are incorrect,” the university said, urging the public to rely on official communication channels for accurate information.
According to the UFS, the overhaul of its student registration and funding policy follows a comprehensive review of the 2025 registration data, which showed that provisional registration was not effectively helping financially struggling students.
An average of eight percent of UFS students were provisionally registered each year, and most were unable to meet their payment commitments despite signing arrangements with the university.
“Students who registered in full in 2025 largely did so through UFS-funded bursaries rather than personal payments,” the statement noted. – Staff Reporter