The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a public entity reporting to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). It provides financial assistance in the form of study bursaries to qualifying students who plan to study at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and public universities.
This is what the scheme does:
- Supports access to, and success in, higher education and training for students from poor and working-class families who would otherwise not be able to afford the cost of studying at a TVET college or university.
- Provides bursaries to qualifying students at TVET colleges and public universities.
What does the NSFAS bursary cover?
To ensure that students get the most out of their studies, NSFAS makes their educational journey enjoyable and free of any financial burden by providing all necessary support from registration until graduation.
Students who are approved for NSFAS funding are covered for the following:
- Registration fees
- Tuition fees
They also receive allowances for the following:
- Food
- Personal care
- Learning Material
- Accommodation or transport
Extra support is provided to students living with disabilities, such as:
- Medical assessments: The assessment is limited to one assessment for the duration of the qualification and on request by the Disability Unit/Student Support
- Assistive devices: Limited to one assistive device for the duration of the qualification.
- Human support: To cover for the cost of human support such as a caregiver, guide-dog, scribe, tutor, or sign language interpreter.
Who qualifies for NSFAS funding?
You qualify for a NSFAS bursary if you are a South African citizen who plans to study at a public university or TVET college and you fall within one or more of the below categories:
- All SASSA grant recipients
- Applicants whose combined household income is not more than R350 000 per year
- Persons with disabilities combined household income must not be more than R600 000 per year.
- Students who started studying before 2018 and whose household income is not more than R122 000 per year.