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.