For quite some time only South African citizens were eligible for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) bursary but recently permanent residents have also been approved for funding.
In order to qualify for funding from NSFAS, students need to fall within the allowed income bracket.
Those with a combined household income of R350 000 per annum or less and persons with disabilities with a combined household income of no more than R600 000 per year are eligible.
The bursary only covers students who wish to study at a public university or TVET college in the country. During the application process, students will have the chance to pick which institution they wish to study at.
NSFAS covers most costs including registration fees, tuition, allowances for living expenses and learning materials.
It is important to remember that the bursary only covers the student’s first undergraduate qualification. It does not fund postgraduate qualifications, second degrees, part-time courses or short courses.
The bursary does not require you to be vaccinated against Covid-19, however, the tertiary institution you apply to may recommend that you get the vaccine, depending on your chosen course.
A good thing to note is that the bursary does not have an age limit. “We don’t discriminate against any race or any age,” stated NSFAS.
Therefore, all an applicant needs to do is meet the requirements.
Students are reminded that the funding will only reflect after they have been registered at a tertiary institution.