The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is financial aid given to undergraduates by the South African Government. The scheme takes responsibility for the tertiary education of students after high school. The scheme is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training and is also responsible for the Funza Lushaka Teacher Bursary for students that want to take teaching as a profession. They also manage DHET Disability Bursaries and other bursaries from the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).
The Scheme was established in 1996 to replace the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa (TEFSA) in 1999. The TEFSA program is a non-profit company and until 2000 manage and administer NSFAS. In 2018, the scheme was supported by over R30 billion by the Department of Higher Education and Training and local and international funds.
For full-time students, the scheme will cover the tuition fees, accommodation, food and travel allowance while only tuition fees will be given to part-time students. The NSFAS aim is to provide education for poor and working-class South Africans at a public university and TVET.
NSFAS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must meet the following requirements to apply for the scheme:
- Must be a South African citizen
- Receive a SASSA grant
- Household income less than R350,000
- Apply to study at a TVET College or public university
- Registered university student with a total of R122,000 household income.
- Must have passed grade 9 and grade 10 to receive funding to study at TVET College
- Passed Matric to receive funding for University education
- Must be registering for the first time at a public university for an undergraduate qualification or registered at a public TVET College for a National Certificate Vocational/ report 191 programme
Students that meet the following requirements are not eligible:
- Foreign student
- Over R350,000 household income per annum
- Complete tertiary education
- Already receive the scheme funding
NSFAS COVERAGE VALUE
The DHET Bursary is going to provide for students in the following areas:
- Registration fee
- Tuition fee
- Subsidised book allowances
- Prescribed learning materials (up to a certain amount, as set by NSFAS)
- Subsidised accommodation (up to a certain amount, as set by NSFAS)
- Subsidised meal allowances
HOW TO APPLY FOR NSFAS BURSARY
You can apply for this scheme using any of the following means:
Online Application
- Visit their website to create an account.
- Provide the following information to register: username, password, ID number, cellphone number and email address
- Log in with the username and password after creating an account
- Click the apply button to complete your application form
- Filled the application form and leave no place blank
- Upload all the supporting documents required
- Click the submit button to submit your application
Apply At NYDA Centre
- Visit the closest NYDA centre
- An NYDA centre worker will give you the application details and give you an application to complete
- Complete your application with a black pen in CAPITAL letters and put your signature at the allocated spots
- Submit the application form and supporting document
- You will be given a receipt card with a bar code
Apply at a Financial Aid Office on campus/ computer lab
You can also apply for the NSFAS scheme at any financial aid office on campus or computer lab.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Applicants are to submit a certified and electronic copy of the following documents:
- A certified and electronic copy of ID document/ ID card
- If you did not have an ID card submit an unabridged birth certificate
- Certified and electronic parents/ guardians ID documents
- Parents/guardians’ death certificate (if applicable)
- Payslips/ employment letters/ pension advice not older than 3 months. (SASSA should be excluded from household income)
- Contact details (cellphone number/ email address)
- Completed and signed NSFAS Consent Form by parents/ guardians
- If disabled, complete the NSFAS Disability Annexure A
- Orphans are to complete and submit the NSFAS Declaration Form signed by an Isibindi Child Youth Care Worker/ a social worker from the Department of Social Development and submitted to an Isibindi Centre/ NYDA office
CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER
To contact NSFAS for any information about the bursary, you can do that using the contacts below
Tel: 0860 067 327
Email: [email protected]
Yes because I am a new version
It is published
I want a busary to be able to complete my studies as I was to study nursing course.