{
  "id": 16284247,
  "title": "University of Mpumalanga promises refunds for 2026 application fees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/university-of-mpumalanga-promises-refunds-for-2026-application-fees",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-24T05:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/education/university-of-mpumalanga-promises-refunds-for-2026-application-fees/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The University of Mpumalanga has announced it will refund or credit students who paid the R200 application fee for the 2026 academic year. University spokesperson Tlangelani Ubisi stated that students who made the payment will receive a credit towards their initial deposit or a full refund. The specific details of the refund process, eligibility criteria, and the timing of the credit or refund are yet to be disclosed. The institution decided to eliminate application fees in 2027, citing financial barriers for prospective students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Ubisi explained that paying the fee multiple times for several universities could be prohibitive for students from poorer families. The university noted that 85% of its students in 2026 received funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas). The university's move to discontinue application fees aligns with similar decisions made by other South African universities to make higher education more accessible.",
  "summary": "The move follows the university's decision to discontinue application fees.",
  "key_points": [
    "University of Mpumalanga to refund 2026 application fees.",
    "R200 fee will be credited towards initial deposit or given as full refund.",
    "Application fees to be eliminated in 2027 to aid disadvantaged students."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}