Thousands of Black Students in South Africa Are Dropping Out of College Due to the Lack of Financial Aid

The cost of financing higher education is a major issue not only in the United States. In South Africa about one half of the students who enter colleges and universities fail to graduate, and the major reason is because of financial difficulties.

Under current exchange rates, tuition at South Africa’s major research universities averages about $3,700. This is far out of reach of many black students in the country. University fees have doubled over the past five years while the budget of the national student financial aid program has risen by only 30 percent.