The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has officially confirmed the academic eligibility requirements for its student loan programme—an important update for students hoping to benefit from the newly introduced loan scheme.
NSFAS offers comprehensive financial support to qualifying students enrolled in approved programmes at universities and TVET colleges. The funding covers tuition, registration fees, and includes allowances for food, accommodation, and learning materials.
The government bursary scheme recently released the 2025 Eligibility Criteria and Conditions for the NSFAS Student Loan Scheme, outlining academic requirements for maintaining loan funding.
Academic Eligibility Criteria for NSFAS Loans
To retain their NSFAS loan, students must meet specific academic performance benchmarks. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of loan funding.
Only courses and programmes approved by NSFAS at public universities and TVET colleges qualify for loan funding.
For University Students
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Students must maintain a 60% pass mark in all registered course modules for each academic term to continue receiving loan funding.
For TVET College Students
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Report 191 students must pass at least 3 out of 4 subjects per term.
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National Certificate (Vocational) [NC(V)] students must have passed at least 5 subjects in the previous NC(V) level to progress.
A loan may only be awarded to students progressing to the next NC(V) level if they passed at least 5 subjects in the previous NC(V) level.
For Occupational Programmes
Academic progression criteria are determined by each individual TVET college and then communicated to NSFAS. Students enrolled in these programmes should stay in contact with their institution to stay informed about their specific requirements.
