Formal Complaint: Registration and Academic Records Release - Varsity College Pretoria/Emeris 2025/2026

“I, Tsholofelo Ramaifo, a second-year BA Law student at Varsity College Pretoria, am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding the 2025 Mid-year (second term) registration process. I wish to raise concerns about the lack of accountability, miscommunication, and inadequate support I received going through the lengthy registration process, which severely affected my academic progress and overall well-being as a person. BACKGROUND In February 2025, I was unable to register for the academic year due to outstanding fees and therefore planned to register for the second semester instead. By 17 July 2025 which was before the proposed the second semester registration date, all outstanding fees owed to the school on my account had been in full. Registration for the second semester opened on 21 July. On that date, I attempted to register but found that my student account remained blocked. On 24 July, I visited the Finance Department personally, and after being shaffled lengthily from one office to another eventually an official confirmed that my account had been cleared (“suspension lifted” ...to quote verbatim) and that I should be able to register, insisting that registration only occurs online. However, despite their confirmation, I still could not access the system in that my log-on credentials persistently retuned an access block. My Parents contacted the school, informing them of the issue and they were rep**** that it was an IT related issue and that IT will call me later that day to assist me in the resetting of my password on 31st July 2025. Days passed and IT did not contact me at all. This is now on the 2nd week of the second semester program having started. Days still awaiting contact from IT, I decided to contact the school again to informed them of the situation and that the student-intranet does not acknowledge my credentials, and I was then informed to personally contact IT Department have my password changed. I went to the IT Department and attempted to have my issue resolved, and the system still wouldn’t give me access. It said something along the lines of... “I have not been granted access to this feature and need to be allowed by the administrator. At student Admin where my parents now accompanied me being concerned that we are now almost on the 3rd week of registration, made a specific request to have me start with classes whilst they (Parents) continue with registration on my behalf. They were told that I cannot attend class until I was registered in full. My parents also explained to finance that financials cannot be the issue as my school account was not only paid in full but that it was even credited with extra fees more than what was required for that month (paid ahead), in spite of all these it was concluded at admin that it was finance not IT that had an issue. However, the initial official to so-called “lift my account suspense” was from finance department! She is the first official to inform us that the system is now ready to allow for my registration. I then went back to finance department again and Finance then granted me access to the student intranet and therefore allowed me to register. This was the same process had gone through initially and all these now over more than 3-weeks. IT required finance to update my financial status with them before a new student password could be granted, thus My IT issue was actually still not resolved and so I had to wait for IT to contact me to Reset my password. I once more went personally with my parents to IT to find out what the hold-up could now be. Why I'm not contacted as I was promised by finance the They (IT) would contact me and was told that now my password is active. Upon attempt to register the system kept on giving me limited access and when I contact the school, I was told that registration has now moved to the ARC system no longer the VC learn. During the registration process I had the option of “pay now” or “pay later” and I chose pay now and it has not worked. I travelled again to school and SRC informed me that I couldn’t press “pay now” because I’m a returning student and had to press “pay later” Once that was completed, I had no access to Arc, and my registration still hadn’t been confirmed as I was waiting for the 5 waiting days. Once the days were up I still wasn’t registered and then had to lodge a ticket through student assist and was finally registered on the 13th of August but only had access to ARC on the 21st but by the 22nd my Student Intranet was blocked and I went to the Finance Department to understand what the issue was. At finance, the lady Maria had informed us that our balance was outstanding but when my mother & I saw the statement, it had been up to d ate, and we were on a positive; she (Maria) had read the statement wrong. Throughout this process I had been traveling back and forth from Daveyton, Benoni to Lynwood Pretoria to try resolve this matter over a period of weeks and when things had finally been sorted out, I have missed tests and assignments. Specific offenses Test 1: 21 August Administrative Law Assignment 1: 27 August When I had asked for an extension to complete the tests and assignments, I had only been granted access to the test that had passed but the assignment that I had to do 3 days after everything had been solved, I hadn’t been given an extension. When I was having a conversation with Jackie from CRO, I was under the impression that I had missed more assignments; specifically Work integrated learning Part 3, 4 - 8 August but she had mentioned that I hadn’t missed that assessment because I had to start the module from the beginning of the year and not from the 2nd semester but the account is being charged based on all the modules I’ve registered for & there was no indication or any form of communication on the website or from the school that I was not allowed to register for that module (Work integrated learning) Impact of the issue: Due to the school - not giving me access to register - not getting immediate access to Arc - not being contacted by IT to change my password and having to execute that on my own - giving me access & removing my access to the student intranet & back again - not having access to campus throughout this period - not giving me adequate time to catchup & do well with my modules - not informing me of the modules I am and am not allowed to take due to registering for the 2nd semester. Therefore, I cannot continue with schooling this semester. These issues have impacted me financially (driving back and forth from home to campus because if not then issues wouldn’t be resolved) and emotionally (having a low morale when attending class and attempting to figure out how to move forward, with little to no assistance)” I sent this back in 2025 September. I would also like to add that through all this, I had attended all of 2 full classes & chose to leave the institution due to its inability to handle my case efficiently and integrate me back into the school.

After all this back and forth I had attempted to de-register from the school & I was directed to the website & had to give an adequate reason to leave & my reason was not one of the options there to leave.

From then I called the SRC and they informed that due to the time around late August, I was going to be allowed to leave but I still had to pay up all the fess due to the re-registration period being missed.

In January 2026 I chose to continue my schooling career with another institution and needed my academic results to move forward with my degree & I called finance and they directed me to the website to get my results.

The system automatically rejected me due to fees not being paid in full. I am entirely disappointed and disheartened with the situation because 1, all these systems that have been put in place, weren’t able to cater to my situation due to it’s unique nature & 2 I am attempting to move on thoroughly to the next institution & finish my degree and I haven’t been able to do so, due to VC Pretoria’s lack of assistance and care for the matter.

Desired outcome: - May I get my academic results from VC/Emeris - Can you arrange a meeting with someone from the university, in order to discuss the matter & further proof (names, dates, calls, bank statements, screenshots) if needed and see how we can meet each other halfway.