The Implication of the HEQSF Act on Human and Financial Resources

Abstract

Currently the fee structure at a University of Technology is based on subject and not credit base. Qualifications found in the same funding category within the University showed a large variability in costs. The research seeked to understand how the alignment of the fee structure of the Higher Education Qualifications Sub Framework (HEQSF) would affect class fees at UoTs. To propose a new fee structure in a sustainable way a model was developed. 
 A University of Technology was used as a case study. A mixed method research design was followed in the realm of an epistemological paradigm that focusing on policy and needs analysis and on predicted future requirements. The model takes into consideration the qualification mix, funding groups, National Qualifications Framework (NQF) levels, NQF credits of the qualifications. 
 Benchmarking between universities indicate significant discrepancies, based on qualifications of similar duration, funding category and resources required. It showed that the UoT was much lower than the country average.
 The novelty of the developed model was to calculate the total income of a qualification for each funding group. Based on classification of educational subject matter (CESM) categories, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) funding, Teaching Input Units (TIUs) , Teaching Output Units (TOUs), the Rand value of a Senior Lecturer Equivalent (SLE), the targeted number of Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) per SLE per CESM category, TUT financial targets, and benchmarked data. Variables of the model were dynamic, implying that it could easily be adapted for changes in (DHET) funding policy.
 The developed model showed the new class fee structure for all qualification types. Ring fencing of 25% between the lowest and the highest funding group was done, and the impact it has on income generated by class fees.