How to get into university after being rejected

Getting rejected by universities can be disappointing, however, the Department of Higher Education and Training has a system in place which is meant to match rejected students to available placements in selected universities.

This system is called the Central Application Clearing House or CACH, which is comprised of  PSET institutions including 26 universities and 50 TVET colleges. These are the institutions which your results are guaranteed to be sent to, in order to find a university which you can be placed in.

How does the CACH system work?

Your results are acquired from the Department of Basic Education, then a system is used to allocate you to an available spot in a university for the course you want to study.

This only works if you you meet the minimum requirements to study that course. It is important to note that this system only caters for people who don’t have a specific institution which they want to study at.

The CACH system is perfect for:

• Students who are open to studying in any institution.
• Students who have been rejected and are looking for placement in any institution.

The main goal of the system is to match your exam results with an available opportunity in the institutions which are a part of their system. This also helps you cut down on the costs of  application fees.

CACHE provides referrals for the following services:

• NSFAS
• Career centre
• Department of Higher Education and Training
• Artisan Support

4 ways in which you can access CACHE:

1. Sign up on their website
2. Request a call back
3. Text their WhatsApp number
4. Send them an SMS
5. Email

They will need the following details from you:

• Your NAME and SURNAME
• Your SOUTH AFRICAN ID NUMBER

If you need more clarity, there is a video available on our YouTube channel which provides more information about the CACHE system. Click the link below!