The Department of Higher Education and Training is urging students who missed previous application cycles or were unsuccessful in securing places at universities and TVET colleges to use the Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) system.

Deputy Minister Buti Manamela said CACH was a digital alternative to traditional walk-ins, allowing students to find available spaces in higher education institutions without queuing outside campuses.

Speaking during a monitoring visit yesterday, Manamela explained the significance of the system, which opened for sign-ups on Monday.

“CACH is a service we offer to students who are unable to secure a place at a university or TVET college. It is mostly for those who did not apply during the previous year’s application cycle or now qualify after seeing their Grade 12 results,” he said.

Manamela acknowledged the various reasons students may not apply on time.

“Sometimes, students lack confidence about whether they will pass. Others do not apply because they do not have information. Once they pass, they hear about study opportunities and realise they need to make applications,” he said.

The CACH system also caters to students who were not accepted into their chosen programmes.

Manamela explained, “Applicants who applied through the Central Application system and did not receive offers for all their chosen programmes will have their information automatically uploaded to CACH. Universities with available spaces will access the system from January 27 to match qualifying students with open spaces.”

Students were urged to sign up for the system before the March 31 deadline. Once an offer is made, prospective students will have three days to accept or decline.

Dr Gops Chetty, of the Central Applications Office, highlighted how the CACH system had replaced physical walk-ins, especially for institutions such as the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Mangosuthu University of Technology, the University of Zululand, and Durban University of Technology.

“What we’re doing now is addressing the issue of physical walk-ins. We now have digital walk-ins for these institutions,” Chetty said.

Chetty shared details of the registration process for students who had not applied or were initially unsuccessful.

“Right now, until the end of February, we are providing a second chance for those who did not apply last year or those who were rejected. They can now submit a new application or change their programme preferences based on their marks,” he explained.

The digital walk-in system allows institutions to efficiently fill spaces left by “no-shows” while providing students with another opportunity to access higher education.

“We already have over 20 000 learners who have registered through our website,” Chetty said.

The initiative also provides a streamlined process for students to engage with institutions digitally.

“We are using analytics to track registrations and ensure the system runs smoothly. This approach prevents the chaos often associated with traditional walk-ins and allows us to better serve students,” Chetty said.

THE MERCURY

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Central Applications Clearing House system set to help late university, TVET applicants