In previous application cycles, National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) had given applicants extensions to make sure that the government bursary reaches more students. No late applications will be accepted for the next academic year.
According to Nsfas, should a student submit a Nsfas funding application after the closing date, they will receive a ‘APPLICATION RECEIVED AFTER CLOSING DATE’ Nsfas status.
Applicants will not be allowed to appeal the outcome of this status. So, application extensions are now a thing of the past.
The only time that a student will be allowed to appeal the outcome of their funding application, is when they have been rejected for other reasons.
Although the government bursary would like to reach more and more students, the following people don’t qualify to receive funding:
- Students who have finished a previous qualification, unless they apply for an approved funded postgraduate qualification
- Students who have already applied and received funding in previous years. They are automatically funded for the duration of their studies, provided they pass their modules and meet the academic requirements.
- Students with a combined household income of more than R350 000 per year
- Foreign students
- Students who are looking for funding for short courses
Before students apply for this bursary, they need to make sure that they have been accepted at a higher learning institution and also meet all of the Nsfas requirements to study towards higher education.
Approved applicants will have their essential costs covered, including tuition, registration, learning material, meal allowance, accommodation/travel allowance, and personal care allowance.
