Formal Complaint Regarding Graduation department Communication and Service Received

I wish to formally raise a concern regarding the manner in which my recent enquiry about my qualification and absentia fee was handled by the graduation department.

After completing my qualification at North-West University, I was unable to attend my graduation ceremony and selected the option for my certificate to be issued in absentia. During April 2026, I paid an absentia fee of R300 through the student portal, which I believed to be the correct amount as reflected on the system at the time.

On 21 May 2026, I contacted the university to enquire about the status of my certificate, as I had not yet received it. I was informed that an absentia fee of R320 was required. I then explained that I had already made a payment and provided evidence of the payment confirmation.

Following this, I was repeatedly instructed to read the provided instructions and submit a specific proof of payment document. After complying with these requests, I asked a straightforward question: whether my payment was correct or not.

Unfortunately, despite several email exchanges, I was not informed directly that the issue was simply an outstanding balance of R20. Instead, I was expected to interpret the problem myself from the fee schedule and instructions provided.

When I later telephoned the university, I was informed that the outstanding balance was only R20. During the conversation, I was also told that my previous email was considered unprofessional and that this influenced the manner in which my enquiry was handled. Additionally, my statement that the portal reflected a payment amount of R300 was questioned and I was effectively accused of being dishonest.

My concern is not the R20 outstanding balance itself. Had I been informed of this at the outset, I would have paid it immediately. My concern is that a simple administrative issue was unnecessarily prolonged because clear information was not communicated directly when requested.

As a former student and a professional educator, I believe students should be treated with respect and provided with clear, factual information when making enquiries. A simple statement such as, "We have received your payment of R300, but there is an outstanding balance of R20," would have resolved the matter immediately.

I respectfully request that this matter be reviewed, not for disciplinary purposes, but to improve communication and service standards for future students.

As of now, I haven't received my certificate yet.

PGCE Graduate