If you've applied to NSFAS and are getting nervous about whether you have been approved, you might be wondering how you will know if you've been approved. 

NSFAS has said:

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a government funded bursary who receives money from the Department of Higher Education which provides funding for students for further education.

Fundi is an organisation that offers funding to students for tertiary education. How do you know if you qualify for Fundi funding?

Fundi is a leading South African Education Finance specialist. They strive to help students achieve their dreams, by covering the costs relating to their tertiary education through their loans. 

If you're planning on doing a postgraduate degree, you may be wondering what options there are for funding for you. In this article, we will outline some of the options for you. 

1. NSFAS 

NSFAS, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, funds South African students with bursaries for public universities or TVET colleges. You must be wondering, does NSFAS fund online studies? 
 

Do you want to know what costs are covered and included in the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)? This is what you can expect your NSFAS allowances to cover. 

Bursaries are one of the options for student funding that you may be investigating. In this mini series of articles names Pros and Cons, Bursaries Portal outlines the advantages and disadvantages of scholarships, bursaries and student loans. 

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges are post high school education and training institutions. TVET Colleges offer vocational training programmes and education and training for students to become skilled workers in the workforce.

NSFAS offers funding to students who cannot afford to pay their fees. What many students misunderstand is that your marks are not a qualification for a NSFAS bursary.

The government has not said anything to NSFAS about writing off any outstanding loans that need a repayment. When NSFAS changed the funding from loans to bursaries, the understanding was that the change was effective from the academic year of 2018.

These questions and answers mostly apply to students who applied for NSFAS funding before December of 2017. This means a student applied for funding when NSFAS offered loans before the move to free education, after which NSFAS offered bursaries which don't need to be paid back. 

Creating an email address and your NSFAS account are very important steps in starting the registration and application process. To learn how to do both of these, keep reading! 

How to create an email address

There are many frequently asked questions about funding and how your funding will be affected in different situations and scenarios. Here are a few of the common questions. 

There are many documents that you need to submit when applying for funding and it is sometimes confusing. Here is a breakdown of what documents you need to submit given based on what situation you are in. 

What if I don't have a cellphone?

As a returning student, you may be wondering if you will need to pay the registration fee for your university. An arrangement has been made with universities to allow students to register. The registration/upfront fee will be covered by your NSFAS package. 

These are the steps you need to follow in order to obtain an NSFAS bursary, which includes how to sign your agreement. Any student who has been approved for funding will not receive any money until they sign the agreement.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges were established by the government to respond the skills shortage in the country. TVET colleges qualify students with vocational and occupational skills in order to find employment in South Africa. 

It is very important to upload all the supporting documents needed before NSFAS can approve your application for funding. Below are some details on how you can upload these documents.