NSFAS aims to cover a range of expenses, such as accommodation or specific learning materials such as textbooks. This, however, is all dependent on the costs of higher education and what the student needs.
What type of allowance does NSFAS provide?
This information is gathered from the NSFAS website which says that the following allowances are included in the bursary:
UNIVERSITY
- Accommodation: amount is the actual cost charged by the university. If private, the cost must not exceed costs for university residence.
- Transport: R7 500 per annum (up to 40 km from institution)
- Living allowance: R15 000 per annum
- Book allowance: R5200 per annum (only applies at universities)
- Personal Care allowance: R2900 per annum
TVET
- Accommodation:
- in urban area - R24 000 per annum
- in peri-urban area - R18 900 per annum
- in rural area - R15 750 per annum
- Transport: R7 350 (up to 40 km from institution)
- Personal Care allowance: R2 900 per annum
Note: NSFAS no longer provides book vouchers to university students. Rather students have a cash allowance that should be used to purchase relevant learning materials such as textbooks.
Are student allowances monitored?
NSFAS has no mechanism to monitor students' spending of cash allowances. NSFAS believes in treating the students' adults who have the financial freedom to make educated decisions on how to spend the allowances.