Rural Education Access Programme (REAP)

Established in 2001, REAP assists carefully selected matriculants from poor rural South African communities to access tertiary education in partnership with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), the Department of Education and the Catholic Church. REAP provides students entering the programme with access to an NSFAS study loan. Successful study with this type of loan, may be transformed into a bursary. REAP also offers small grants to cover costs of registration, books, technical equipment, travel, spectacles, basic medical expenses, small meals, accommodation allowance and a contribution toward fees (where necessary). REAP also offers its students a series of support services including student advisors who offer advice and counseling through monthly telephone sessions and 3 face-to-face sessions per year, workshops that address social and life skills development (orientation, time management, exam prep, goal setting, study skills, substance abuse, gender and diversity), information and discussion about HIV/AIDS, relationships and sexuality, and peer groups. Student recruitment and selection are undertaken by 60 volunteers (REAP regional representatives) made up of educators, NGO and CBO workers, and diocesan workers. REAP has 22 committees operating in rural areas and covering all 9 provinces of South Africa. Students are required to complete 3 days of community service during their vacations with the objective of developing accountability and social responsibility.

Innovation

This programme is innovative in its ability to provide holistic support to students, enabling greater rates of retention and graduation. It differentiates itself from other similar programmes by working in remote rural areas, on a national scale and by actively identifying matriculants with potential through their volunteer committees. Its partnership with NSFAS plays a key role in its success.

Effectiveness

Currently there are over 350 students enrolled in the programme of which 50% are female. REAP has an annual intake of between 100 and 120 students. 80% of REAP students have consistently passed more than 50% of their courses each year. 55% of REAP students graduate within 5 years, whereas the national figure is 41%. In addition, REAP has a drop-out rate of 25%, whereas the national average is 50%.

Poverty Impact

REAP increases access to tertiary education for poor, rural students by providing access to loans and grants as well as academic and emotional support. Over 100 young men and women from poor rural communities enter tertiary education each year who would otherwise have been unable to do so. REAP also attempts to instill a sense of community responsibility in their students so that they might take an interest in relieving poverty in their own communities. Examples of the type of community service performed by REAP students include informing learners at rural high schools about tertiary education, assisting CBOs in projects such as food gardens and orphanages, volunteering at community and legal advice centres, and volunteering at community health clinics. Thanks to a REAP grant, Nokubonga from the Eastern Cape studied Office Management and Technology at Cape Technikon. Nokubonga completed her diploma within three years and has been offered a full-time position at a Personnel office in East London.

Sustainability

REAP has a R6.1 million budget for 355 students. An average annual cost per student will be an estimated ±R18 000 in 2008. REAP receives its funding from South African Corporate Social Investment funds, trust funds and foreign donors. It also helps students to access loans from NSFAS. The NSFAS loans make up about 49% of the financial aid that REAP students receive. Other financial aid, in the form of grants/bursaries, is funded by REAP and makes up about 51% of what students receive. Over the last four years REAP has broadened its donor base and is now supported by 13 South African Corporate Social Investment funds, 6 South African Trust Funds, 4 foreign donors, and 2 individuals. Donors are always requested to consider multi-year support.

Replication

This type of program could be replicated elsewhere on both a local scale and a national scale. REAP’s holistic support model is a good one to follow as it ensures higher rates of success for its students. A program like this requires access to student loans, as well as a great deal of other funding because of the high cost of tertiary education. It is geared toward a rural population but similar strategies could be used for urban groups as well.

Partnerships

•   National Student Financial Aid Scheme (loans)
•   Department of Education (university quotas)
•   Institutions of tertiary education (liaison and collaborator)
•   Catholic Church (volunteers)
•   Studietrust (funding and network)
•   Asset (funding and network)
•   Catholic Institute of Education (funding)

Donor list: Irish Aid, FNB Fund Bursary Programme, HORIZONT 3000, Swiss South African Cooperation Initiative, Anglo Goal/Ashanti Fund, Anglo American Chairman’s Fund, DG Murray Trust, BoE Private Clients, SACBC Bishops’ Lenten Appeal, The National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund, De Beers Fund, Tania Ruth Leon Foundation, Aglo Vaal Industries, Deutsche Bank Africa Foundation, Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, Jackson Foundation, McCarthy Holdings

Visit www.reap.org.za for more information