The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has announced that it will continue to pay allowances to students enrolled at the University of South Africa (Unisa) until the end of 2024. This is good news for Unisa students who rely on NSFAS funding to cover their living expenses.
NSFAS provides comprehensive bursaries and student loans to eligible South African students studying at universities and technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges. These funds cover tuition fees, registration fees, and allowances for essential expenses.
Unisa students who receive NSFAS funding are eligible for two types of allowances:
- Learning Materials Allowance: This allowance helps students purchase textbooks and other study materials. The amount depends on the number of modules a student is registered for.
- The Learning Materials Allowance is determined by the number of modules a student is registered for. Unisa students funded by NSFAS receive R700 per module for the first four modules and a one-time payment of R5,460 for five or more modules.
- If R5,200 is already paid as the Learning Materials Allowance for the first five modules, no additional allowance will be granted for any extra modules.
- Living Allowance: This allowance is paid to students who are registered for ten or more modules and helps cover their living expenses.
How will Unisa NSFAS allowances be paid for September 2024?
Unisa students will receive their September 2024 allowances directly from the university. This is a change from previous arrangements where allowances were paid through the NSFAS Direct Payment Black Card.
The NSFAS Direct Payment Black Card is no longer in use. NSFAS is terminating contracts with the service providers associated with this card.
