The Eduxtras Cashless Card: 4 Reasons You Should Get Your Hands On The Card That Helps You Manage Your Study Funds!

Stay focused on your studies... not on the management of your bursary funds. At Eduloan we want to make funding your education as easy as possible!  Your Eduxtras card gives you easy access to your bursary funds which are loaded into pockets for accommodation, books, study-related equipment, food and tuition. We take a look at 4 reasons why you should consider getting your hands on an Eduxtras card:

Reason #1 – It’s Secure

Because the money is transferred into your account and you only use your cashless card to access these funds, you do not have to be worried about having large sums of money in your pocket to pay for your accommodation or textbooks. Should you lose your card or if it gets stolen, it is easy to deactivate the card by calling the call canter or by using your online login.

Reason #2 – Access your account online

You can access and manage your Eduxtras cashless card by logging in on http://www.myeduxtras.co.za. On this website you will be able to manage your bursary funds by viewing your statements and banking details, request or change your PIN and report a lost or stolen card.

Reason #3 – Better Budgeting

Because your funds are kept in pockets, you can budget your monthly allowance to avoid using your food budget when you have to buy textbooks, making sure you don’t go hungry at the end of the month.

Reason #4 – On Campus Access

You can use your Eduxtras card on campus, for even more convenience. This means that you do not have to travel to be able to use your Eduxtras card! All you have to do is swipe your Eduxtras card at one of our partnered stores! Click here [L1] to view the complete list of partnered stores.

Surely you should get your hands on an Eduxtras cashless card?

For any questions about Eduxtras, our partner merchants, to find out more about the fund pockets, to report a lost or stolen card or a forgotten PIN simply call us on 0860 55 55 44. You can also email eduxtras@eduloan.co.za or visit www.eduloan.co.za for more information.

Introducing The New Eduloan Website – 5 Things You Can Do Efficiently

At Eduloan we do everything we can to help you to unlock your potential and pave your way to success. In addition to our educational finance solutions, great customer service and on campus assistance with our branches on many major campuses across the country we now introduce to you the brand new Eduloan website: www.eduloan.co.za.

Developed and enhanced to give you all the information you need on one easy to use platforms, we have made a list about how this useful tool can help you unlock your potential with a simple click of a button.

Apply For A Study Loan Online

You can now apply for a study loan by either downloading an application form in a preferred language of your choice, completing it and submitting it to us or you can complete the process completely online .

Apply For A Study Tool Loan

Whether you need a loan for textbooks, a laptop or tablet, musical instrument, a scientific calculator, a stethoscope or safety equipment, we can assist you with a loan to cover all your study tools and equipment while you study. You can apply for this online or by downloading an application form from our website.

Calculate Your Installments Using Our Repayment Calculator

Find out how much your loan will cost you by using our repayment calculator tool. Just complete all the fields and the system will automatically calculate your monthly instalments for you, including all related fees. You can adjust the monthly instalment by increasing or decreasing the number of months or your loan amount to accommodate your budget.

Access Your Account Information

Do you want to keep an eye on what’s happening on your account? We have an easy access portal that allows you to view your application status, manage your Eduloan account, view your account statement and update your personal details.

View Our Exclusive Laptop and Tablet Deals

At Eduloan, we offer great laptop and tablet deals! When choosing your laptop or tablet, you will be able to select from leading brands like HP, Samsung, Lenovo, Toshiba, Dell and a whole lot more. Because we know how important the software is, your laptop comes preloaded with a Microsoft operating system and Microsoft office program for maximum performance. Many of our offerings also come with a service warranty. So, in the unlikely event that something should go wrong, simply bring it into the nearest repair centre!

Visit our new Eduloan website today and find out how we can assist you in unlocking even more potential!

Inspirational Woman: We Talk To Totsie Memela-Khambule

This August we have been focusing on Women’s Month, and this week we speak to Totsie Memela-Khambule, the CEO of Eduloan. Totsie is involved with several other projects including being the chairperson of Memela Pratt and Associates, director of Cadiz, the leading merger and acquisitions firm in South Africa and director to International Partnerships for Microbiocides (IPM) – a research non-governmental organisation that specialises in HIV/AIDS prevention for women.

In her private capacity, Totsie mentors young leaders through the International Women’s Forum’s fellowship program and participates in forums that give disadvantaged communities opportunities.

Here is a snapshot of the five minutes we spent with Totsie:

Q: How did your education shape your future?

A: I grew up in a working class family, my mother was a domestic worker and my father was a gardener. My parents taught me that an education can change one’s life, that it will get me out of poverty and make me independent.

Q: Who is your inspiration?

A: My mother has always been a great inspiration to me. Although she never had a formal education, she always had an inquisitive mind, asking a lot of questions to find out how things work and what they are. My other inspiration is Osceola Macarthy, who saved a few pennies to give underprivileged people the opportunity to achieve more by establishing a scholarship fund for students of colour.

Q: What are some of the difficulties that you had to overcome to get to where you are?

A: Some of the difficulties includes thinking you are not good enough, doubting yourself and allowing yourself to think that your past defines your future. I had to learn that only you can define your future and not to overlook the present.

Q: You are involved with several projects – how do you find the inspiration to continue contributing to and influencing such a diverse range of projects and people?

A: Understanding the role of a leader is important, you have to realise that you have a bigger responsibility. Serving others is important, whether it is intellectual, physical or financial amongst others. You have to treat everyone in the same manner.

Q: What advice would you give South African youth?

A: Realise that you are not entitled to anything and that you have to think differently and independently. Have an inquiring mind. Give meaning to your life by having gratitude and giving of yourself and serving others.

“Maya Angelou said that although people might forget what you said, they will never forget how it made you feel.” Totsie Memela-Khambule, CEO of Eduloan.

Going To Grade 10 Next Year?

Here’s what’s vital for you to know when picking your subjects

So you’re in grade nine and you can’t wait to choose the subjects that you would like to study from grade 10 to 12. Take time to stop and think carefully about which subjects you are about to choose.

There are three very good reasons to think carefully before you select your subjects:

1.       Your chosen subjects should remain the same throughout grade 10 to 12

2.       You might require certain subjects in order to be legible for a specific course

3.       It is always a good idea to keep your ability or interest in mind when selecting subjects

Your subject choice will impact your future, so bear this in mind when you consider what subjects to choose. These subjects include:

·         Two languages (one should be your home language and the other should be a first additional language)

·         Mathematics or mathematical literacy

·         Life orientation

·         Three other subjects that you can choose from – this list could be up to as many as 29 subjects depending on your school  or college.

Spend time researching so you are well informed before you make your decision. Here is a list of learning fields and the required subjects for each, to give you an idea of the kind of subjects you might need to take. Keep in mind that you must register for a total of 7 subjects and at least one language must be a Home Language.

Learning Fields	Subjects
Science	2 Languages Mathematics Life Orientation Physical Sciences Life Sciences Geography
Agriculture	2 Languages Mathematics Life Orientation Agricultural Sciences 2 of the following: Physical Sciences Life Sciences Geography
Human And Social Studies	2 Languages Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy Life Orientation Geography History Life Sciences
Business Commerce And Management Studies	2 Languages Mathematics orMathematical Literacy Life Orientation Accounting Business Studies Economics

Take time to chat to one of your career counselors at school or take an aptitude test to establish your skills and interest before making any decisions. You can complete our free Career Aptitude test to assess your skills and interests, which will give you an indication of the type of career that you are best fitted for. We cannot guarantee that this fun assessment will match you with your perfect career, but it is a wonderful tool to narrow down your choices and open avenues that you might never have thought to explore!

Eduxtras partners and the benefits of swiping your card

Eduxtras is Eduloan’s fund management card solution for students, designed specifically to take away the stresses of managing your education bursary.  The Eduxtras card gives you easy access to your funds which are divided into separate pockets to help you budget your funds in the way the fund provider wants. On instruction from your sponsor we can allocate funds to items such as tuition, accommodation, textbooks and even groceries every month - making sure you can budget for all the costs associated with your education.

Your Eduxtras card works just like a debit card. The card was designed especially with the student in mind, making it easy and convenient to manage and budget your bursary funds.  The Eduxtras card has been set up to have different independent pockets which can only be used at suppliers that are set up for each specific pocket (see our full list of partners where you can swipe your card here). 

The pockets are loaded by Eduloan as per instructions from the fund provider (whether it’s a university, bursary, sponsor or company). Additional funds can also be loaded onto the card at the Eduloan helpdesk (only at University of Pretoria) or by transferring funds from your bank account. It takes approximately 72 hours before the funds can be used.

When you make a purchase at a partnering supplier, money will be deducted from your funds and taken out of that specific pocket – without charging you ANY transaction fee!  

The solution provides peace of mind to you and your sponsor - you’ll never be able to use your funds for anything other than what they are meant for – even if temptation at the shopping mall is stalking you! This way you’ll always be able to meet your financial commitments while you’re studying.

Your funds can be split into different pockets.  Each pocket is unique on your Eduxtras card. For example, the pockets can be utilised as follows:

·         Books

·         Food

·         Accommodation

·         Tuition fees

You can only use funds in each pocket for that pocket's purpose. So, if you run out of funds in your food pocket, you cannot use funds from your book pocket to buy food.

Features include:

·         You can check the balance of each pocket on the Eduxtras student portal here

·         You will receive an sms for every amount loaded onto your card

REMEMBER: If you have not used up your funds by the end of the academic year, the funds will be transferred back to your fund provider. This is to ensure that you use the funds allocated to you responsibly and for the right reasons.