University of Free State suspends academic activities

Following student protest actions that has taken place over the past week on its campuses, the University of Free State has now suspended all academic activities until further notice as of the 14th October 2025.

The protests are related to the introduction of a fairer, more equitable, and sustainable financial support system for ALL students as of 2026. Under this system, academically qualifying students will be fully registered once their fees or funding have been confirmed.

The Resolutions by the Executive Management Committee of the University of the Free State (UFS) are:

1. The Qwaqwa Campus is closed with immediate effect, and students are requested to leave the campus within the next 24 hours.

2. The Executive Management Committee extends an invitation to the Student Representative Councils (SRCs) of all three campuses to further engagement.

3. On the Bloemfontein and South Campuses, all lectures are suspended until further notice; however, only limited movement will be allowed on campus from 19:00 in the evening until 07:00 in the morning.