The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) revealed when students will be paid their allowances monthly. This allows students to effectively plan how they will use their allowances when they receive payment from NSFAS.
NSFAS said that direct allowance payments are made to students after the 25th day of every month. This means that students can expect to receive their money towards the end of every month.
NSFAS Allowance Challenges
NSFAS announced that the disbursements of allowances are carried out exclusively based on the registration templates provided by educational institutions. This registration data will be if a student is living in catered accommodation or self-catered accommodation.
The type of accommodation a student resides in will have a direct impact on the amount of money they relieve as part of their living/meal allowance.
We have been processing payments via service providers, please note that we only pay based on the registration templates we have received from the institution. We will pay NSFAS beneficiaries whose allowances are still due to them.
NSFAS said they cannot confirm when each student will receive their allowances. Delays may occur for those whose registration data was received after a particular cut-off or weren't verified prior to the last payment cycle. In such cases, affected students are advised to anticipate the subsequent payment run.
The time frame cannot be confirmed as it differs for each student depending on registration data. If your registration data was received after or not verified before the last pay run then you should wait for the next.
Which Allowances Do Students Receive From NSFAS?
In addition to covering the costs of tuition and registration fees for funded students, NSFAS also provides various allowances to students. These allowances aim to cover the costs that students may incur while they pursue their qualifications.
NSFAS pays several allowances to students including a living allowance, accommodation allowance and a learning material allowance. Students who do not live in accommodation receive a transport allowance.
NSFAS Allowances For University Students:
- R5,460 for learning materials
- R16,500 for living expenses
- R61,500 for university-provided accommodation with catering
- R45,000 for university-provided accommodation with self-catering
For Students Living Off-Campus With Relatives Or In Accredited Accommodation
- R5,460 for learning materials
- R16,500 for living expenses
- Accommodation allowance capped at R45,000
NSFAS Allowances For TVET College Students
- Living In college-owned catered residence: R54,000 accommodation allowance
- Living in college-owned self-catered residence: R45,000 accommodation allowance, R6,000 living allowance, and R3,045 personal care allowance
- Living in private accommodation: R45,500 accommodation allowance, R6,000 living allowance, and R3,045 personal care allowance
- Students living more than 10 KM from campus: R6,000 living allowance, R3,045 personal care allowance, and R7,780 transport allowance
More than one million students are being funded by NSFAS in 2023.
