MAKING THE GRADE

FOR 24-year-old Shaiyene Fritz, the road to graduation has been anything but smooth — but she is refusing to give up.

The Humanities student took a devastating double knock last year when she lost her mom to complications with diabetes and her NSFAS funding.

But after finding her purpose, she won’t let niks stand in the way of making the best of a nightmare situation.

Fritz originally wanted to become a teacher, but after not being accepted into an education course,  she refused to let go of her dream and instead took a gap year in 2020. After the blow, she told herself: “I won’t give up – even though giving up is often the easy option where I come from.”

In 2021, she enrolled in an Extended Degree Programme (EDP), and by 2022 was studying Social Work.

A year later, she transitioned into a Humanities degree, which immediately felt like the right fit. With her accumulated credits, she had a clear path: finish her studies by 2026 – everything funded by NSFAS.

But then life took a devastating turn.

Shaiyene explained:  “In 2023, my mommy got really sick. She had diabetes and had to have her leg amputated.

“I had to take care of her full-time. My marks dropped, but I still managed to pass.”

She juggled studies with small side jobs – tutoring, photography, and selling washing powder – just to help keep things afloat. But in early 2024, her mommy passed away.

Still she soldiered on: “That was the hardest moment of my life. But I told myself I have to keep going – she sacrificed too much for me.”

Despite managing to pass her modules under immense pressure, her NSFAS funding was withdrawn. The reason? Her circumstances no longer matched the eligibility criteria.

Her appeal was unsuccessful, and she was told the decision was final.

Now Fritz has been informed she cannot register for the next semester unless she settles her 2024 tuition debt of R150 000. Determined not to quit just before the finish line, she turned to crowdfunding – and has managed to raise R41 000 so far.

Shaiyene recalled: “I went to a graduation recently to take photos, and I saw all these students with their parents. I thought: ‘This is what I wanted my mommy to see – me in my gown’.

“There were people who tried to break my spirit, but I couldn’t let them. I’ve tutored so many children who are looking up to me. I owe it to them to finish. I need to be the woman they can look at and say, ‘She didn’t give up’.”

“I lost my mommy. Then I lost my funding. But I haven’t lost my faith.”