Each year, thousands of young South Africans from poor rural areas find themselves trapped in a cycle of unemployment and poverty as they successfully complete their schooling but are limited from going any further, due to a lack of information, career guidance, opportunities and funding. The participation rate in tertiary education for black and coloured young people aged 20-24 is still only 12%. For every 3 black students that commence a tertiary education course in South Africa, only one ever completes. The problem is even worse for students from rural areas.

In an attempt to eradicate poverty and empower young people to improve the quality of their lives, the Rural Education Access Programme (REAP) assists students from poor rural areas across all 9 provinces of South Africa to access tertiary education. REAP provides information, resources and referrals to grade 11 & 12 learners in rural schools and calls on state mechanisms such as the National Skills Fund (NSF) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to provide full cost bursaries as well as subsidised student loans. Our network of recruitment volunteers offer career information to learners and guide them through the various application processes. REAP provides students with a structured support and development programme to facilitate success in their studies.
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