Why Is Nsfas Not Funding Students

Why Is Nsfas Not Funding Students

Nearly 150 000 students have not received funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for the 2021 academic year for either failing or not meeting other funding criteria.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Higher Education said that 93 532 TVET college students and 52 992 university students did not receive NSFAS funding for the 2021 academic year.

At universities, 22 014 students were unfunded because they had already obtained their first undergraduate qualification.

NSFAS approved budget for 2023-2024 was R41.5 billion. This amount excluded the R6.4 billion additional budget approved by Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande which is awaiting virement approval from National Treasury.

Nzimande congratulated students who were successfully funded and said that their bursary guidelines were based on a number of principles.

How much does nsfas pay?

1. Book Allowance All NSFAS students qualify for a book allowance of up to R5 200 for the year. Students registered for the full year will receive the maximum book allowance during February 2023 Students registered for one semester only will qualify for R2 600 book allowance. Please note that should you cancel your studies for the second semester and have received your book allowance for the year, you will be liable for the outstanding balance of R2 600.

Book allowance for students registered for the full year will be paid in two payments of R2 600 each during the week of 10 February 2023

2. Meal Allowance

All NSFAS students qualify for a meal allowance of up to R15 000 for the year, except distance-learning students. The allowance for students registered for the full year will be paid over a period of 10 months (Feb–Nov). Students registered for one semester only will receive R7 500 over a period of five (5) months (Semester 1: Feb–Jun or Semester 2: Jul-Nov).

3. Private Accommodation Allowance

A valid lease agreement must be uploaded with the private accommodation online application process before the application will be considered. After approval of your private accommodation application, you will receive your payment during the first week of the following month. The first payment will include your rental payment up to date. Payment will depend on your rental period and the amount. Please note that you will not receive payment for private accommodation if you are staying in an on-campus residence or at home. Distance-learning students also do not qualify for the private accommodation allowance. The maximum private accommodation allowance for 2022 is R34 400 for a student registered for the full year. The maximum for a student registered for one semester is R17 200.