PETITION BY YBM STUDENT CHAPTER, CALLING FOR 100% EARLIER PAYMENT OF BOOK ALLOWANCES
To: North West University Management
From: NWU Young Builders Movement Student Chapter
Subject: Demand for the Payment of Book Allowances by 15 February Instead of Month-End
1. INTRODUCTION
We, the undersigned students, led by the Young Builders Movement (YBM), submit this petition in good faith and with respect to university management. Our intention is not confrontational, but constructive, rooted in the lived realities of students and guided by the principle that access to education must be meaningful, not theoretical.
As the academic year has commenced, students are expected to attend classes, participate in academic activities, and reintegrate into campus life. However, the current allowance payment schedule, which releases funds at month-end, places a significant and unnecessary burden on students at the very start of the academic term.
2. THE PROBLEM
At the beginning of the academic year
- Many students return to campus with no financial means.
- Some students are still at home and unable to travel back due to the high cost of transport fares.
- Others attend classes hungry, stressed, or irregularly, not due to lack of commitment, but lack of resources
- Students are pressured to borrow money, incur debt, or miss academic activities.
This situation undermines the principle of equal access to education and disproportionately affects students from working-class and disadvantaged backgrounds.
3. WHY EARLIER PAYMENT IS NECESSARY
Paying allowances by 15 February would:
- Enable students to return to campus on time.
- Ensure consistent class attendance from the first week of lectures.
- Reduce stress, anxiety, and financial desperation among students.
- Promote academic success and student well-being.
- Align financial support with the actual academic calendar, not administrative convenience.
Simply put, students cannot meaningfully participate in their education without basic financial support at the point when classes begin.
4. OUR DEMAND
We respectfully but firmly demand that:
Student allowances be paid by no later than 15 February each academic year, instead of month-end.
This adjustment would demonstrate the university’s commitment to student welfare, access to education, and academic excellence.
5. CONCLUSION
This petition reflects the collective voice of students who want to learn, participate, and succeed, but cannot do so without timely support. The Young Builders Movement believes that this demand is reasonable, practical, and necessary.
We trust that university management will give this matter urgent consideration and engage students in implementing a solution that places student dignity and academic success at the centre.
Signed:
Concerned Students
Supported by: NWU Build One South Africa – Young Builders Movement
NWU YOUNG BUILDERS MOVEMENT Contact the author of the petition