LP
Leandra P
Active since Feb 2026
2
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2 reviews1 month ago
Demanding requirements to study at STADIO
I studied through STADIO as a distance learner for four years while completing my Bachelor of Education. After finishing my degree, I feel more relieved that it is over than proud of the experience, because the entire process has been financially and administratively exhausting. First, the cost of studying through STADIO is extremely high. Compared to public universities in South Africa, the cost of distance learning at STADIO is almost double, sometimes even more when you include books and additional fees. Many students choose distance learning because they cannot attend contact classes, yet the pricing structure feels like it punishes those exact students. On top of tuition fees, the cost of textbooks is another major frustration. Every year you are required to buy expensive textbooks that cost a small fortune. Yet when you try to resell those same books afterwards, you only get a tiny fraction of what you paid for them. Students already struggling to afford their studies end up losing even more money on materials that quickly become useless once the course is finished. I paid for my studies myself because I did not want to graduate with debt at the age of 29. To make that possible I had to work multiple jobs. I worked at a law firm from 07:30 until 13:00 and then worked as an au pair from 13:00 until 17:30. By the time I got home I was completely exhausted, yet I still had to cook, clean, and study. Balancing full-time work with expensive studies is extremely demanding, but for many students it is the only way to survive financially. Communication and administration at STADIO are also major issues. During my final year I failed one exam. Instead of forcing me to redo the entire subject, STADIO allowed me to rewrite the exam in February. This is something I do appreciate, because many universities would require you to repeat the entire module for another six months. However, getting basic information about the rewrite exam was incredibly difficult. It took nearly three weeks just to receive basic details — whether the exam would be written at home or at a venue, what the format would be, how long it would take, and when it would actually happen. Students were only told the details during the same week that the exam took place, which makes proper preparation almost impossible. Now that I have completed my studies, I am still stuck waiting for my letter of completion so that I can move forward with my career. Due to recent regulatory changes, you now cannot register for a teaching license unless you already have your letter of completion. Previously, student teachers could begin the process while still studying, but that is no longer allowed. This means graduates are stuck waiting for paperwork before they can even apply for jobs or register professionally. Even worse, many employers require the actual degree rather than just the completion letter, and the degree itself is only issued months later at graduation ceremonies. After studying for four years, it is incredibly frustrating to feel like your life is on hold because of administrative delays. At this point I honestly do not even care about attending graduation. I simply want my letter of completion and my degree so that I can move forward with my life and career. After four years of sacrifice, working multiple jobs, and paying extremely high tuition fees, the last thing graduates should be doing is waiting months for documents just to start working. STADIO may provide distance learning opportunities for students who cannot study elsewhere, but the financial pressure, the cost of textbooks, the communication issues, and the administrative delays make the experience far more difficult than it should be.
53 replies
2 months ago
DebiCheck deducted after loan settlement – warned in advance, still unresolved
I settled my TymeBank personal loan in full on 17 December and received confirmation that the account was paid off. On 27 January, TymeBank attempted to deduct a DebiCheck from my account even though the loan had been settled more than a month earlier. At that stage, I assumed this was an error that would be corrected automatically. On 28 January, a second DebiCheck attempt occurred and I began receiving insufficient funds charges. I phoned TymeBank on 28 January to report that deductions were still being attempted on a loan that had already been paid in full. The agent confirmed on his system that my loan was settled. He told me that this was something that “sometimes happens” and that after the deduction runs, the money would be reversed within 24 hours. I told him that this should not be happening at all and that I was calling in advance to prevent the deduction, because the money belongs to me and the loan is settled. I also mentioned that I had seen reviews from other TymeBank customers reporting the same problem and struggling to get their money back. I was assured that those complaints were not true and that the bank would resolve this. On 29 January, the DebiCheck deduction ran again. I gave TymeBank time to fix the issue as promised and did not phone again immediately. Later on 29 January, money was paid into my account. On Friday morning, I woke up to find that the DebiCheck had deducted money from my account anyway. I phoned TymeBank again on Friday morning and explained that this deduction should not have occurred, especially after I had warned them in advance and been told the loan was settled. I was informed that there was nothing they could do and that I must wait 24 hours for the system to reverse the money automatically. This left me without access to my funds. I am currently unemployed and rely on temporary work. Because the money was taken, I was unable to travel to a day job and lost income as a direct result of this error. I was told the money would be returned within 24 hours. I allowed the full weekend to pass, assuming this meant business hours. It is now Monday at 11:00 and the money has still not been returned. On Monday at 08:30, I phoned TymeBank again. After waiting on hold for approximately 20 minutes, I requested to speak to a supervisor or manager. I was told the manager was in a meeting and would call me back after 09:00. It is now after 11:00 and I have still not received a call back, and my funds have still not been returned. This situation has caused both financial and emotional stress and could have been avoided entirely, as I warned the bank in advance and was told the loan was already settled. I am sharing this so that other customers are aware that they should ensure their DebiCheck mandates are properly cancelled after settling a loan.
112 replies
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