The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) ensures that deserving South African students can obtain tertiary education qualifications. They do this by providing comprehensive bursaries that cover the costs a student will encounter while obtaining a qualification.
Receiving a Nsfas bursary will see a student's tuition and accommodation fee paid. Students will also receive a transport allowance, stationery allowance and personal care allowance.
However, these students need to meet certain criteria to ensure they keep receiving their bursary for subsequent academic years.
Nsfas will fund students until the completion of their degree provided. However, this is on the condition that they passed more than 50% of their registered modules. Students must also not exceed the N+rule.
Failure to meet these requirements may result in the discontinuation of a student's funding. However, students can appeal their academic exclusion if they meet the following criteria:
- The student is a continuing student who was not an FTEN or FTF student in their previous academic term of study;
- AND The student’s failure to complete their academic term successfully due to severe ill health for two or more months of the academic term or during examinations, or there has been a death in his/ her immediate family during the academic term, or the student was the subject of a violent crime (such as rape or abuse), or the student was pregnant and gave birth during the academic term, and the institution has evaluated that the student has the propensity to complete their qualification within an additional academic term;
- OR The student is a student living with a Disability and a medical report indicates that the student failed to complete their academic term due to the nature of their Disability and the institution has evaluated that the student has the propensity to complete their qualification within an additional academic term;
- OR The student can evidence that the academic results received by Nsfas are incorrect.
- A continuing student who was a FTEN or FTF student in their previous academic term of study does not need to appeal as the student will automatically be funded for their next academic term, provided that all other eligibility criteria are met.
Nsfas developed a new appeals system that guides students through the appeals process. In the 2022 academic year, Nsfas received 40,000 appeal applications from students whose funding applications were rejected.
It is important to note that NSFAS applicants who want to appeal will also need to complete and download a relevant propensity letter.
Here are the propensity letters available for download:
- Failure to meet academic eligibility (PDF)
- Appealing N+1 (PDF)
- N+2 students with disability (PDF)
- Registered for 50% or less (final year course credits) to complete (PDF)
The scheme has reviewed and processed around 28,000 of their appeals and provided the students with the outcome of their applications.
Nsfas students must be registered or intending to register in approved courses at public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to be eligible for a bursary. Students attending private institutions are not eligible for funding.
