College students who were evicted due to the failure of the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) to pay their accommodation fees are lying helplessly at the door.

About 50 students at the Pietermaritzburg TVET College were forced to sleep on the gates of the college on Monday night as they found themselves without a place to sleep following their eviction.

On Wednesday, students said they did not know where they would sleep as they said the college had refused to let them sleep inside.

The students said they were scared as it was crowded with people living on the street near where they were standing.

They also feared that they could be infected with the Corona virus as they dressed and exchanged blankets.

Most of the students come from as far away as the Eastern Cape.

Yesterday students closed the gates of the center, protesting.

One of the students, Lunga Dlamini, accused the college of late submitting their funding applications, saying Nsfas did not pay on time.

“Since January, the stands have not been paid. The stands also have their own needs that they have to pay for, so I do not blame them for firing us.”

Dlamini said they slept in turns because they were afraid they might become victims of crime.

“It’s full of pairs, we’re in danger. That’s why we’ve been taking turns sleeping, some watching.”

Another student, Ms Sithembile Kunene, said they slept badly as the sponges and blankets were inadequate.

“We don’t even have money for food. This is not a good thing.”

Another student, Londeka Jola, said she would tell the crows what had happened.

“The thing that happened to me is I don’t wish it on anyone else. The worst thing is that if we go and ask the college authorities a place to hide, they refuse.”

Efforts to get a comment from the college’s principal, Ms Ntombifuthi Ntshangase, were unsuccessful as her phone call was not answered, and she did not respond to a text message.

It was too late for Nsfas to respond to the queries but confirmed that the fund’s office had confirmed that they had received a list of queries sent to Jovaza.