Although the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s application window for the 2023 academic year is currently closed. There are still ways to get around to ensure that you are satisfied with the outcome of your student funding application.
An unsuccessful NSFAS application status means that you don't qualify for student funding by the bursary scheme. This could be due to a variety of reasons. Some of them include those listed below.
Reasons why your NSFAS application may have been unsuccessful:
- NSFAS completed third-party checks on your household income and saw that your household income is above the required threshold of R350 000 or R600 000 for people with a disability.
- You're a student who registered at a University before 2018 and because of this, your household income does not match that threshold of R122 000.
- You have exceeded the number of years NSFAS can fund you according to the N+ rule.
- It is important to further note that, the N+ rule is not based on the number of years that a student has been funded, but on the number of years that the student has been registered for tertiary study at any public university in South Africa.
- If you're a continuing student then they could have found that you failed to meet the academic requirements and your funding was therefore discontinued.
- If you feel that you have been unfairly rejected and have proof to motivate this claim, you can appeal to NSFAS. When you appeal, NSFAS will reevaluate your application.
Fortunately, the bursary scheme still allows applicants, both first-time as well as returning students, the chance to appeal their declined application if they believe that the feedback is not fair. NSFAS appeals are done online through the myNSFAS student portal.
How to appeal on myNSFAS:
- Log into your “MyNSFAS" account
- Click the 'Track Funding Progress' option
- Check the application progress tabs
- If your application status reflects an unsuccessful message, you may submit an appeal by clicking on the 'Submit Appeal Tab'
- Once you are on the 'Application Appeal' page, you can see the reason for your unsuccessful application status
- You are then able to choose the appeal reason
- Then upload certified supporting documents to support your reason
- Then click 'Submit Appeal'
- You may now track the progress of the appeal on your myNSFAS account.
A NSFAS appeal needs to be submitted within 30 days of seeing the 'unsuccessful' NSFAS application status. It is also crucial for affected applicants to note that the chance submission of appeals will only be available until Monday 20 February 2023.
