Alumni

“Thanks to the Unisa student debt relief fund, I now confidently submit my CV"

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Jeffrey Masina, now a proud alumnus of Unisa, obtained his marketing qualification after becoming a beneficiary of the student debt relief fund, having accumulated debt on outstanding study fees.    

The student debt relief fund is intended to assist students who have completed their studies but cannot graduate due to debt. It also benefits students who are studying but have accumulated debt and cannot progress further. The fund enabled Masina to realise his dreams in 2022 after completing his Marketing Management Higher Certificate. Between 2019 and 2021, he studied for a Diploma in Public Relations at Unisa.

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Jeffrey Masina

His interest in the studies sparked his love for interacting and engaging with people. "Those two qualifications resonated with me as I love the idea of being a problem solver or coming up with solutions to people problems that require knowledge," he says.

This knowledge was cultivated at a university he had always heard about while growing up in the vibrant township of Daveyton, Ekurhuleni. "Unisa was part of our community's fabric," he recalls. "As kids, we knew it as the place where dedicated teachers pursued their studies through distance learning. But as I grew older, I discovered Unisa's vast world of opportunities, offering much more than I had imagined."

These are the courses Jeffrey applied for and registered at Unisa, but his journey was far from smooth. Financial hardship made it impossible for him to pay for his studies, putting his dreams on hold. He describes the student debt relief fund as a lifeline that came just when he needed it most. The R25,800 debt had been an overwhelming obstacle, preventing him from obtaining his qualification, until the fund lifted that burden and reignited his path to success.

Masina says: "Thanks to the funding I received, I now submit my CV to recruiters with full confidence!" He is now ready to actively pursue job and internship opportunities in the competitive labour market.

In his free time, Masina channels his discipline as a karate instructor, proudly holding a first black belt (1st dan) at Daveyton Shinkyokushinkai Karate. He finds that the practice instils a sense of order and focus in his life. Embracing both the highs and lows that life brings, he remains driven by his passion for education and its profound, positive impact on society. "I am deeply committed to education and its transformative power," he shares.

*By Busisiwe Mahlangu, Communications Coordinator, Unisa Foundation and Alumni Relations

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Publish date: 2024/09/23

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