The “Missing-Middle” refers to students who do not qualify for financial aid from the government's bursary scheme, but at the same time cannot afford to pay their university fees.
By not being able to afford to pay their fees, students who form part of the missing middle often fail to complete their studies and could be excluded from university activity.
Missing middle students normally originate from homes with a household income of more than R350,000 but less than R600,000.
The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) has set a target of raising R3 billion which will be used to invest in research and innovation, infrastructure development, and students.
The Centenary is an opportunity for our global community to celebrate the impact that Wits has had on their lives, a chance to reflect and to look to the future.
This target was set to commemorate the university’s centenary year celebrations under the theme of Building Impact Beyond 100.
Part of this investment will go towards supporting missing-middle students, which the university says will ensure more people can access the quality education offered at the institution.
Wits explained, “If we can give more people access to quality education at Wits, and attract top teaching and research talent, we can do even more to tackle inequality, contribute to employment and drive sustainable development.”
To date, the university has raised R2.1 Billion. This leaves them with R900,000 left to achieve their goal. They are calling on members to donate to the initiative to support the institution in its many important endeavours.
