Now that the matric results have been released, many matriculants look at furthering their studies at tertiary institutions.
 
UASA would like to warn prospective students and their parents not to fall prey to unscrupulous bogus tertiary institutions taking advantage of their desperation to acquire further qualifications.
 
Parents and students must do careful research into the available options before applying to any institution. Fly-by-night institutions that are not registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and that supply students with invalid qualifications are on the rise.
 
The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has called on prospective students to check the status of educational institutions before they apply.
 
Thousands of Rands are lost every year to these fraudulent institutions that take advantage of the limited space at universities and other tertiary institutions and the many prospective applicants that cannot be accommodated. Private institutions are often the next step, but not all of them are operating within the law.   
 
Before applying for admission at any institution, it would be wise to ensure that it is registered with the DHET.
 
The simplest way would be to ask the institution to provide you with a registration certificate. The registration certificate, which is issued by the DHET, must reflect the name of the institution, programmes offered and the registration period. A government logo and registration number are not enough.
 
UASA wants to bring it to the attention of prospective students and their parents that the department also releases a register of all private higher education institutions. The register is available for inspection by any member of the public on the department’s website, www.dhet.gov.za.
 

Don’t let your dreams fall prey to unscrupulous fraudsters. Confirming the registration of your chosen academic institution could save you a lot of money, energy and time.

Issued by UASA