The study which was conducted by E de Jager and R. Baard, both of the School of Accountancy, Stellenbosch University, South Africa says though it was of opinion that free higher education might be a way out of poverty and economy growth, the implementation might not make economic sense, at least for now.
Presently in South Africa, a student of higher institution of learning pay an average of R65,000 on it first year in school. If the student is from family whose household income is lesser than R350,00 per annum he get free higher education, a policy which does not go down well with many others who demanded for the free higher education for everyone.
The study which have been published in the South African Journal of Higher Education was as a result of responses to interview conducted with some students of Economics and Management Sciences of Stellenbosch University (SU).
The result shows that most of the students do not seem to believe that free tertiary education is feasible. 23% believe it is feasible while 62% of those granted interview believe it is not feasible.
Also, 66% of the students interviewed does not believe government is able to give free higher education, while just 21% believe government is able to do it.
In another development 55.5% of the respondents noted that the economy of South Africa is too week and unstable to support free higher education blaming this on week tax base of the country.