The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has seen a notable surge in applications, totalling 1,9 million received by 16 February 2024. In response to the high volume, the application deadline was extended to 15 February 2024.
NSFAS reported that 1 000 389 applicants have been provisionally funded for the 2024 academic year, largely due to their collaboration with the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa). This collaboration involves cross-referencing applicants with the Sassa grant database; those found on the database automatically meet NSFAS' household eligibility criteria and are provisionally funded.
Out of all applicants, over 790 000 individuals receiving Sassa assistance and near to 200 000 applicants securing funding elsewhere were allocated NSFAS funding.
NSFAS institution Applications
By 12 February, NSFAS had already received more than 570 000 funding applications for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college studies and over 1.3 million applications for university funding, indicating high demand for both paths.
NSFAS provisionally funded 230,394 TVET applicants and 759,604 university applicants, with disbursement contingent upon institution confirmation of registration.
NSFAS SARS Consent Form
In 2024, NSFAS requested all applicants to submit a consent form to finalise their 2024 NSFAS bursary application, emphasising that failure to do so may delay funding confirmation. This form enables NSFAS to verify applicants' eligibility based on household income.
NSFAS is committed to transparent and efficient communication of funding decisions, with decisions communicated as applications are processed. Additional resources have been allocated to expedite processing, including 100 case workers tasked with processing all applications by February 2024's end and resolving any appeals by April 2024.
This article was updated on 19 February 2024.
