THE NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME (NSFAS) ONLINE APPLICATIONS 2022 HAS BEEN OPENED FOR STUDENTS AND APPLICANTS WHO WISH TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO FURTHER THEIR STUDIES AT ANY OF THE 26 PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES AND 50 TVET COLLEGES. THE NSFAS FUNDING COVERS THE COSTS OF REGISTRATION, TUITION AS WELL AS ALLOWANCES FOR LEARNING MATERIALS, FOOD, PERSONAL CARE, TRANSPORT, OR ACCOMMODATION. NSFAS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 28 YEARS; ASSISTING OVER 4 MILLION SOUTH AFRICANS TO REACH AND ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS.
WHAT IS NSFAS?
NSFAS IS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING ESTABLISHED ACCORDING TO THE NSFAS ACT (ACT 56 OF 1999) TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS WHO WISH TO FURTHER THEIR STUDIES AT PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES OR TVET COLLEGES
WHAT DOES THE BURSARY COVER?
UNIVERSITY
*ACCOMMODATION AS PER THE ACTUAL COSTS CHARGED BY THE UNIVERSITY (COSTS FOR PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION MUST NOT EXCEED COSTS FOR UNVERSITY RESIDENCE).
*TRANSPORT (UP TO 40KM FROM INSTITUTION) R7500 PER YEAR.
*BOOK ALLOWANCE R5200 PER YEAR.
*LIVING ALLLOWANCE R15000 PER YEAR.
*INCIDENTAL/PERSONAL CARE ALLOWANCE R2900 PER YEAR FOR STUDENTS IN CATERED RESIDENCES.
TVETS COLLEGES
*ACCOMMODATION IN AN URBAN AREA R24000 PER YEAR.
*ACCOMMODATION IN A SEMI-URBAN AREA R18000 PER YEAR.
*ACCOMMODATION IN A RURAL AREA R15700 PER YEAR.
*TRANSPORT (UP TO 40KM FROM INSTITUTION) R7350 PER YEAR.
*TRANSPORT R7000 PER YEAR.
*INCIDENTAL/PERSONAL CARE ALLOWANCE R29000 PER YEAR.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR NSFAS FUNDING?
SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZENS
SASSA GRANT RECIPIENTS QUALIFY FOR FUNDING.
APPLICANTS WITH A TOTAL OF NOT MORE THAN R350 000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
PERSON WITH A DISABILITY: A TOTAL OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME NOT MORE THAN R600 000 A YEAR.
STUDENT WHO STARTED STUDYING BEFORE 2018 WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS NOT MORE THAN R122 000 PER YEAR.
SORRY BUT YOU DO NOT QUALIFY FOR NSFAS FUNDING…DO YOU KNOW WHY? LET’S EXPLAIN EVERYTHING FOR YOU.
WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR NSAFS FUNDING??
STUDENTS WITH A HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF MORE THAN R350 000 PER YEAR.
STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY APPLIED, QUALIFIED AND RECEIVED FUNDING.THEY ARE AUTOMATICALLY FUNDED FOR THE DURATION THEIR STUDIES PROVIDED THEY PASS THEIR MODULES AND MEET ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS.
FOREIGN STUDENTS (ANY STUDENT WHO IS NOT A SOUTH AFIRCAN CITIZEN).
DO YOU HAVE WITH YOU EVERYTHING THAT’S NEEDED IN THE APPLICATION BEFORE YOU COULD EVEN START WITH THE APPLICATION?
REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
APPLICANTS ID DOCUMENT CARD OR BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
ID OF PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIAN/SPOUSE (OR DEATH CERTIFICATE WHERE APPLICABLE).
APPLICANTS PROOOF OF INCOME (IF APPLICABLE AND SHOULD NOT BE NOT MORE THAN 3 MONTHS).
VULNURABLE CHILDREN MUST PROVIDE A COMPLETED AND SIGNED VULNURABLE CHILD DECLARATION FORM.
APPLICANTS WITH A DISABILITY MUST PROVIDE A DISABILITY ANNEXURE A FORM (DOWNLOADABLE ON THE NSFAS WEBSITE)
SASSA SLIPS/RECEIPTS SHOULD NOT BE PROVIDED AS SASSA SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED OR INCLUDED OR COUNTED AS A HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR NSFAS AND ADMISSION AT UNIVERSITY OR TVET COLLEGES FOR 2022.
YEEEYYYY…LETS START WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS
THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
STUDENTS MUST REGISTER ON THE myNSFAS PORTAL AND COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM TO APPLY FOR FUNDING AS WELL AS TRACK THEIR APPLICATION STATUS AFTER APPLYING
FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS TO CREATE A myNSFAS PROFILE.
LOG ONTO WWW.NSFAS.ORG.ZA
CLICK ON REGISTER
COMPLETE THE REQUIRED FIELDS (ID NUMBER, CELLPHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS).
UPLOAD A COPY OF YOUR ID OR BIRTH CERTIFICATE. IF YOU ARE UPLOADING A SMART ID PLEASE NOTE AND ENSURE TO CAPTURE BOTH SIDES VISIBLY SO.
A ONE TIME PIN TO ACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE SENT OF THR CONTACT DETAILS YOU PROVIDED/SUBMITTED. ONCE YOU HAVE CREATED A myNSFAS PROFILE YOU WILL THEN BE ABLE TO APPLY ONLINE BY FOLLOWING THE FEW STEPS BELOW.
CLICK ON APPLY.
COMPLETE ALL THE REQUIRED FIELDS WHERE APPLICABLE.
UPLOAD ALL REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.
A REFERENCE NUMBER WILL BE SENT TO YOUR CELLPHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS.
PLEASE NOTE THA NSFAS NO LONGER REQUIRES A SIGNED CONSENT FORM TO ALLOW THE VARIFICATION OF APPLICANTS DETAILS WITH THIRD PARTIES. STUDENTS CAN GIVE CONSENTS BY CLICKING ON THE BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE BEFORE SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION.
STUDENTS ARE NOT COMPELLED TO CERTIFY COPIES OF THEIR DOCUMENTS.
FACTUAL NSFAS BENEFITS
NSFAS BENEFITS GO BEYOND JUST ACCESS
STUDENTS FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME (NSFAS) DO NOT NEED TO MAKE ANY PAYMENTS OF STUDENTS DEBT DURING THE COURSE OF STUDYING.
THIS MAJOR BENEFIT IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY BENEFITS THAT THE STUDENTS WHO WERE FUNDED TO TUNE OF R10.5M, RECEIVE, ACCORDING TO THE NSFAS 2016/17 ANNUAL REPORT.
IT LISTS OTHER BENEFITS SUCH AS:
THE CONVERSION OF 40% OF NSFAS LOANS TO GRANTS IF FUNDED UNIVERSITY STUDENTS PASS THEIR FIRST AND SECOND YEAR OF STUDY.
THE CONVERSION OF THE TOTAL AMMOUNT OF THE LOAN IN THE FINAL YEAR OF STUDY TO A GRANT IF FUNDED UNIVERSITY OR PUBLIC COLLEGE STUDENTS PASS THEIR FINAL YEAR OF STUDY.
INTEREST CHARGES ARE DEFFERED DURING THE COURSE OF STUDY, INCLUDING 12 MONTHS AFTER EXIT FROM INSTITUTION.
THE FUNDING TO THE TVET COLLEGES IS A FULL BURSARY, WITH NO EXPECTATIONS FOR A REPAYMENT
INTEREST CHARGED ON OUTSTANDING AMOUNTS IS HEAVILY SUBSISED AT 80% OF REPO RATE.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDY SINCE THE PRIME RATE IS TYPICALLY 350 BASIS POINTS ABOVE THE REPO RATE.
IN OTHER WORDS, OF THE PRIME INTEREST RATE IS 10.25%, A NSFAS-FUNDED STUDENTS ONLY PAYS INTERESTS OF 5.6% ON THE OUTSTANDING LOAN.
IS YOUR NSFAS ACCOUNT BLOCKED?
HOW TO RESET myNSFAS PROFILE?
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE STEPS TO FOLLOW TO RESET YOUR myNSFAS ACCOUNT:
STEP 1 > GO TO WWW.NSFAS.ORG.ZA, CLICK ON ‘myNSFAS’ THEN SELECT ‘FORGOT PASSWORD’.
STEP 2 > TYPE IN YOUR ID NUMBER AND CHOOSE WHAT YOU REQUIRE HELP WITH: PASSWORD OR USERNAME OR BOTH, THEN CLICK SUBMIT.
STEP 3 > THE USERNAME AND THE LINK TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD WILL BE SENT TO VIA SMS AND EMAIL.
STEP 4 > OPEN THE LINK TO BE REDIRECTED TO THE RESET PASSWORD PAGE.
STEP 5 > RESET YOUR PASSWORD BY FOLLOWING THE PROMPTS ON YOUR SCREEN.
YOU ARE NOW WELL EQUIPED AND INFORMED.
YOU ARE GOOD TO GO!!