Abstract
Public higher education institutions in developing countries have faced a steady increase in student enrolment, driven by historical factors such as the expansion of access to education following the end of apartheid in South Africa and other policies aimed at addressing socio‐economic inequalities. This increase, however, has led to challenges in adequately meeting the growing demand for resources and services, often resulting in institutions operating at or beyond their ideal capacity. Coupled with a reduction in state funding, these conditions have uncertained the future of higher education financing. This study examines how university students in South Africa use the book allowance provided by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). The study employed a survey strategy to collect data from 358 randomly selected university students using a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed that only 19.3% of students used their book allowance to purchase academic textbooks. The study highlighted that external financial pressures, such as family obligations and living expenses, led to the diversion of funds away from textbooks. Additionally, many students opted to purchase information and communication technology (ICT) devices, reflecting a shift from traditional print media to digital learning materials. All demographic groups, including gender, age and academic faculty, observed this trend. However, the study found that students from lower socio‐economic backgrounds were more likely to reallocate their allowances due to greater financial pressures. On the basis of these findings, the study recommends implementing more differentiated funding mechanisms that account for varying poverty levels among students, increasing support for affordable online academic resources, providing targeted financial literacy programmes and improving accountability in using financial aid.