How to Apply for NSFAS Online
So, you have been admitted to a university. Congratulations! Now the next step is for you to apply for funding. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a South African government fund that provides financial relief to students and covers tuition costs, registration fees, food allowance, living costs, academic learning materials, accommodation and transport costs. Please note that the fund will not pay for your accommodation fees if they cover your transport costs.
The tuition costs cover modules that are compulsory for the Degree/Diploma. These are determined by the institution and are directly paid to the student’s fee account. There is no annual cap for the tuition costs.
The accommodation costs are eligible to students who live on and off-campus, subject to the institution’s approval. For private accommodation, the amount paid by NSFAS is capped to the cost of the institution’s residence costs. If students live in private accommodation, they are eligible for transport costs to and from the institution.
The learning materials include books, e-books and all other learning materials that are required for the successful completion of the degree or diploma and the amount paid is decided annually by NSFAS.
All students, including students who live off and on campus, are eligible for meal allowances. For students living in catering residences, the meal allowances may be in the form of meal vouchers, while they are in the form of a cash amount for students who live in self-catering residences.
Students living with disabilities may qualify for allowances to buy assistive devices. These are devices that are deemed necessary and essential to the student’s learning environment. These devices include but are not limited to wheelchairs, hearing aids, computers, recorders and walking sticks. NSFAS determines the funding amount.
Before applying for NSFAS funding, it is important to make sure that:
- You are a South African citizen with a South African ID.
- You have a matric certificate.
- Your household income does not exceed R350 000 per annum.
- Your combined household income does not exceed R600 000 per annum if you are disabled.
- You have checked the list of funded qualifications and are certain that your programme is funded.
If you meet all the abovementioned requirements, the next step is to make sure you have all the supporting documents.
These are:
- A copy of your ID or birth certificate.
- A copy of your parents, spouse or guardian’s ID.
- Disability Annexure A Form if you are disabled.
- A filled out Vulnerable Child Declaration Form.
- Your proof of income or your parents, spouse or guardian’s proof of income.
- Retrenchment letter if applicable.
- Death certificate if applicable.
- Divorce decree if applicable.
Now, if you have all the required documents, then you are ready to apply.
To apply, you need to:
- Go to mynsfas.org.za or follow this link.
- Click on register and fill out your details.
- Attach your documents and click on register.
- After registering, you will receive a One-Time Pin (OTP).
- Type in the OTP and submit the registration form.
- After submitting, you will receive a confirmation email and SMS.
- Please fill out your application form and submit it after attaching all the required supporting documents.
NSFAS has recently announced that they will no longer provide funding for the following qualifications:
– Qualifications that have the word “National” in the title
- BTech qualifications
- Bridging programmes
- B Ed qualifications
- B Curr qualifications
- Legacy two-year diplomas
- Legacy NQF Level 8 qualifications
Funding will also not be awarded if you:
- Were funded by NSFAS during the previous year
- Have completed an undergraduate degree or diploma
- Are not a citizen of South African
- Are looking to pursue a short course or programme
- Are seeking funding for a postgraduate qualification with the exception of:
- BTech – Architecture / Architectural Technology
- BTech – Engineering (all disciplines), Cartography, Forestry
- BTech – Biokinetics, Biomedical Technology, Biotechnology
- BTech – Chiropractic, Homoeopathy, all Nursing
- BTech – Clinical or Dental Technology, Emergency Medical Care
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education
- Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting
- LLB
Please visit nsfas.org.za to see when applications open and close to ensure that you apply on time.
