The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) has revealed that it will be making some updates and changes regarding the 2023 living allowances and academic eligibility criteria.
In a recent tweet the scheme wrote:
This Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande has responded to recommendations made by NSFAS Board Chairperson Mr Ernest Khosa regarding amendments to the 2023 NSFAS Eligibility Criteria and Conditions for Financial Aid.
These amendments have been implemented to ensure that students have sufficient funds for academic purposes.
Minister Nzimande has agreed to the following amendments:
- The academic criteria for the 2023 academic year will be a pass rate of 50% for university students.
- Funded students’ living allowances have been increased from R15 750 (inclusive of personal care – R3 045) to R16 500 (inclusive of the personal care of R3 045)
The bursary scheme noted that this was a major step in ensuring students receive enough monthly funds, and it is important that Nsfas ensures that it is able to accommodate the above-mentioned increases in allowances with its existing allocation.
Meanwhile, student demonstrations have continued for weeks at institutions across the country on the account of several concerns including the recently implemented cap on student accommodation allowances for Nsfas funded students.
Earlier this year, the scheme announced that accommodation allowances for the 2023 academic year would be capped at R45,000 for the year.
Students have expressed that the new allowance limits aren’t feasible because of the high costs for housing across various geographic areas in the country.
Nsfas is engaging with the affected universities and will be discussing possible solutions to address student concerns.
To find out more about the NSFAS bursary, applications and the latest changes, head to our NSFAS page
