Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande would submit his recommendations for implementing free higher education for all matrics before the end of the year, the department said on Wednesday.

"The minister will soon be coming to the public with his recommendations. He first has to go to cabinet, which will be within the next few weeks," department chief of staff Nqaba Nqandela told Sapa.

The South African Students Congress (Sasco) had earlier reprimanded the minister for not providing recommendations on how free higher education could be implemented for all matric pupils.

Sasco expected him to come forward by August 30, as part of comment on a National Student Financial Aid Scheme review report.

The report was released in April and was sanctioned by the previous Education Minister Naledi Pandor.

Nqandela said that he was not sure how Sasco had come up with an August 30 deadline but said the department may have mentioned a targeted date of around August.

He said that the department was also not aware of Sasco's suggestion to fund free education, by introducing an education tax on all South Africans through progressive taxation.

"We have not received a proposal from Sasco to date," Nqandela said.

Sasco wanted all matric pupils to be given the chance of completing an undergraduate degree in 2011 for free.

Sasco president Mbulelo Mandlana said this would apply to all matrics who had attained a pass and qualified for university entrance.

Mandlana said that the student financial aid review report had found higher education was irregularly priced and not affordable to the working class.

It concluded the scheme was inadequate and unsustainable in its current form, in both the way it was structured and operated.

"You have the case of a lot of money not allocated right. There are loopholes in the policy that allow for preferential treatment and corruption. The scheme can ultimately not conclude its functions," Mandlana said.

"There is the liberal notion that it's not acceptable to have everyone study further... that it is a privilege. Even through privilege, there are not enough bursaries for every matric student.

"South Africa is a knowledge economy and not a labour-intensive economy. We need people to have an advanced education, to be productive members of society," he said.

Mandlana said it was a matter of emergency that those who qualified and were ready to go into the system, should be given an education.

Entry requirements of universities would also have to be looked at, to allow more deserving matrics entry.

"This is not necessarily dumbing down," he said.