Holistic support model offers proven solution – but success depends on co‑creation with private stakeholders and funding partnerships
Johannesburg, 7 May 2026 – In the wake of recent reporting that as many as 60% of first‑year university students disengage after their first term, the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) is calling for urgent, coordinated investment in holistic, wraparound support for students, particularly those from low‑income and first‑generation backgrounds.
While recent coverage has correctly highlighted the alarming scale of the dropout crisis and the limitations of focusing solely on academic performance, ISFAP warns that the national conversation still overlooks one of the most powerful levers for change: comprehensive, structured support that addresses the full set of barriers students face, financial, academic, psychosocial and environmental.
“Academic potential alone does not guarantee a degree,” said Werner Abrahams, CEO of ISFAP. “Students from low‑income and first‑generation households are not dropping out because they are incapable. They are leaving because they are under‑supported, financially, emotionally and academically. Wraparound support is not a ‘nice to have’; it is the difference between a lost opportunity and a South African graduate contributing to our economy.”
For many students, especially those who are the first in their families to attend university, the challenge is not just getting into university, it’s staying there and completing their studies.
ISFAP’s wraparound support model is designed to respond to this reality through an integrated set of interventions, which typically include:
- Comprehensive financial support (including tuition, accommodation, books and living allowances, where applicable)
- Academic support and tutoring, including skills for university‑level learning and time management
- Psychosocial and mental health support, such as counselling and mentorship
- Career development and work readiness, connecting studies to real employment opportunities
- Ongoing monitoring and early‑warning systems, enabling proactive interventions when a student begins to struggle
“We consistently see that when finance, mentorship and psychosocial care work together, student success rates improve dramatically. This is especially evident in first‑year students, where the risk of disengagement is highest,” Abrahams said.
He added that it is critical that this issue be kept in the public domain. “We are grateful that the conversation about first year dropout rates is coming to the fore. The next step is to show that there are already evidence‑based, South African‑tested solutions that work, and that wraparound support is one of them. ISFAP and our partners stand ready to demonstrate what is possible when students are fully supported”, he elaborated.
ISFAP emphasises that solving the dropout crisis cannot be the responsibility of government and universities alone. The organisation is calling on corporates and private funders to partner as co‑creators of sustainable wraparound support, not just as once‑off bursary sponsors.
“We are inviting corporates to move beyond transactional funding and join us in strategic, long‑term partnerships,” said Abrahams. “This means investing in student wellbeing and readiness for work, and actively shaping the pipeline of future talent our economy so urgently needs.”
Every first‑year student who drops out represents both a personal loss and an economic cost,” Abrahams concluded. “But every student who is retained and graduates through proper support becomes a qualified professional, a breadwinner and a contributor to South Africa’s growth.”
Ends.
Media Enquiries
Anneke Burns
ISFAP Public Relations
071 423 0079
anneke@abpr.co.za
About ISFAP:
The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme Foundation NPC (ISFAP) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to funding and supporting the higher education of South Africa’s poor and missing middle students. Established in 2017, ISFAP partners with universities and private sector entities to ensure that students in need can access and succeed in higher education, contributing to the nation’s economic development.
For more information, visit: www.isfap.org.za