In a press briefing, the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Blade Nzimande has given an update on how the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) had managed to support students for the 2022 academic year.
It has also been announced that Nsfas funding application process begins on 28 September 2022 for those who wish be students at one of South Africa’s public universities or Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in 2023.
In the press briefing, Nzimande has shared:
Opening early will give applicants enough time to submit applications and their supporting documents.
It is said that the application system has also been enhanced to make it similar to other application systems prospective students are using. This will then make Nsfas online application easier and more accessible.
Additional platforms will also be used for Nsfas application such as WhatsApp, a USSD line and a mobile app.
This comes after the myNsfas portal had been benchmarked and also redesigned to be more user friendly and closer to other platforms that prospective applicants are accustomed to.
Additionally, it is said that the questions asked in the application process are easier, also allowing applicants to pause and continue at a later stage without restarting the whole process from scratch.
Nzimande has confirmed that Nsfas will have an outreach campaign to ensure that those who don't have access to technology can still apply.
Students have been urged to be vigilant of online scammers claiming to assist with their applications at a fee.
