Briefly state FOUR reasons why learners find it difficult to be admitted to higher education institutions

On this page, we help students to answer the following question: “Briefly state FOUR reasons why learners find it difficult to be admitted to higher education institutions.” This is a key topic for Life Orientation Grade 12, focusing on the challenges of the transition between school and post-school destinations.

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Quick Answer

Reasons for Admission Difficulties:

• Low APS Scores: Failing to meet the minimum Admission Point Score for a chosen degree.
• Space Constraints: Universities have limited “bed” and desk space compared to the number of applicants.
• Missing “Gatekeeper” Subjects: Not having Core Maths or Science for specific fields like Engineering.
• Financial Barriers: Inability to pay registration fees or securefunding optionsearly.

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Why Learners Struggle with Tertiary Admission

In South Africa, the path from the National Senior Certificate to university is highly competitive. Many learners face intrapersonal conflict when their applications are unsuccessful, often due to the following factors:

1. Failure to Meet Admission Point Scores (APS)

The most common reason for rejection is an insufficient APS. Even if a learner passes matric, they may not achieve the specific levels required by a university for a particular occupation.

• If a learner’s NSC exam preparation was poor, their points may be too low for competitive degrees like Law or Medicine.

2. Limited Institutional Capacity (Oversubscription)

South African universities receive hundreds of thousands of applications but can only admit a fraction of those students.

• Due to limited infrastructure, even learners who meet the minimum admission requirements may be turned away simply because there is no space left in the programme.

3. Incorrect Subject Choices

Many learners reach Grade 12 only to realise they do not have the “gatekeeper” subjects required for their dream career.

• For example, choosing Mathematical Literacy instead of Core Mathematics may automatically disqualify a learner from BSc or Commerce degrees, regardless of how high their other marks are. This is why using tools like the Khetha document in earlier grades is so important.

4. Poor Performance in the National Benchmark Tests (NBT)

As we differentiated between NBT and APS, it is clear that universities look at more than just matric marks.

• A learner may have a high APS but fail to demonstrate the “Academic Literacy” or “Quantitative Reasoning” required in the NBT, leading the university to believe they are not yet ready for the transition to tertiary education.

Reference for Students:

• Subject: Life Orientation Grade 12
• Source: Life Orientation Grade 11 Source-Based Task Term 1
• Topic: Challenges in career pathing and tertiary enrollment.