The University of Zululand (Unizulu) on Thursday announced that it would increase fees by eight percent for 2017.

Unizulu follows in the footsteps of the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), Stellenbosch University and the University of Free State (UFS) who have also announced eight percent tuition and residential fee increases for next year.

Other universities are yet to announce their fee structure for 2017, but the Walter Sisulu university announced last week that its postgraduate students would not be paying for postgraduate studies.

The University of Fort Hare and the University of KwaZulu-Natal are amongst those that already have adopted the policy.

Government recommended a maximum academic and residence fee increase of eight percent for 2017, but also committing to pay this fee increase for all students whose family income falls below R600 000 per annum.

In other words, as long as the fee increase is no greater than eight percent, students from families with incomes below R600 000 per annum would pay no more in 2017 than they did in 2015.

In a statement, Unizulu said over 94 percent of its students were eligible for National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) support this year.

Since the annual family income limit for Nsfas support is just over R120 000 per annum, Unizulu said it anticipated that virtually all students would pay no higher fees in 2017 than they did in 2015 and 2016.

In addition, initial payments for registration in 2017 would remain at the reduced levels of 2016.