Vague responses, changing deadlines and an impossible payment demand

I am a 20-year-old N4/N5 Draughting student at the Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE), and I am writing this review to highlight the severely poor administration and miscommunication that has left me in an impossible financial and academic position.

I needed to re-register for certain subjects and received an invoice for R1100. I questioned this amount as it differed from what I expected, and — critically — I directly asked AIE whether this was the full and final amount I needed to pay, or whether I would be directed to pay for my re-do subjects separately afterwards. This was a clear, specific question.

After waiting 4-5 days for a response (while a deadline was approaching), I received the reply: "The invoice has been amended. Please find your revised statement." I paid the R550 immediately, in good faith, believing this was the corrected and complete amount owed — which is the natural interpretation of the word "revised."

Approximately a week later, I received a generic automated email about re-registration for Intake 3. Believing it to be a mass email, I queried whether it app**** to me. I was told yes, and that I still needed to make a payment. I was then presented with an invoice for R16,500 — with only 5 to 7 days remaining before the 30 September deadline.

When I raised the impossibility of this, AIE offered a payment plan requiring a R7,000 deposit — still completely unachievable for a student on a loan — with monthly payments of R1,600. To make matters worse, the deadline for this arrangement changed multiple times: first 30 September, then 25 September, then 28 September. This level of inconsistency makes proper financial planning impossible.

This is not acceptable for the following reasons:

1. My direct question about whether the amount was the full and final payment was never answered clearly. The response I received — "revised statement" — imp**** it was. 2. A 20-year-old student on a loan cannot reasonably arrange R16,500, or even a R7,000 deposit, in 5-7 days. 3. I was later informed that if I do not complete my N4 subjects in this intake, I will be unable to obtain my qualification — as N4 is being discontinued after this cycle. This means AIE's poor communication has potentially cost me my entire qualification. 4. AIE's support tickets consistently take days to receive responses, and when responses do come, they are vague and do not actually address the question asked.

I understand that re-doing subjects is my responsibility. However, I was misled by AIE's own wording, given an impossible payment deadline that kept changing, and left without clear guidance at every step. The consequence of their administrative failure is that I may lose access to a qualification I have been working toward — through no fault of my own in this specific situation.

I am requesting that AIE acknowledge the miscommunication and ensure that no student loses their qualification due to an administrative failure of this nature.

Student number: ***