The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has announced that it has received nearly 1.9 million applications as the closing date for NSFAS approaches. The deadline for 2024 NSFAS applications is 15 February 2024.
Applicants whose NSFAS applications are rejected will have a 30-day window to lodge a NSFAS appeal. This appeal process involves a re-evaluation of the initial application by the financial aid scheme, potentially reversing a rejection into an approval.
To date, over 100,000 NSFAS applications have been turned down, with more than a thousand appeals already submitted to NSFAS.
NSFAS will promptly initiate the appeals process upon reaching funding decisions to ensure timely communication of NSFAS appeal outcomes to both students and institutions.
How to Submit a NSFAS Appeal
1. Visit the myNSFAS website by clicking here
2. Log into your myNSFAS account.
3. Select the 'Track Funding Progress' option.
4. Check the application progress tabs.
5. If your application status indicates an unsuccessful outcome, click on the 'Submit Appeal Tab'.
6. On the 'Application Appeal' page, review the reason for your unsuccessful application status.
7. Choose the appropriate appeal reason.
8. Upload certified supporting documents to substantiate your reason.
9. Click 'Submit Appeal'.
After you have submitted you can still keep track of your appeal.
Out of the nearly 2 million NSFAS applications received, the breakdown is as follows:
- 967,303 have been provisionally funded.
- 779,769 are Sassa beneficiaries and have been immediately approved.
- 191,493 non-Sassa applicants have secured funding
However, many applicants have reported not receiving any response after applying. A significant number of applicants have stated that their NSFAS status remains unchanged at 'Awaiting Evaluation' and 'Financial Eligibility'.
During a visit to the NSFAS offices, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela, addressed these concerns, stating:
We are quite concerned. We've had a lot of queries from students, and prospective students who have applied for NSFAS and they have not yet received responses. I'm quite excited that there are plans that have been put into place to make sure that we, as speedily as possible, deal with this
Manamela further emphasised, "Most of the universities will be beginning with their learning and teaching in the course of this month so we need all of this cleared up."
Acknowledging the anxiety among first-time university and TVET College students, he added,
It's quite an anxious period for especially those who are going to university and TVET College for the first time. I think for us to say to them that if we had managed by now, it's been a short space of time since the results, to communicate about 900,000 decisions. It should be easier to complete the rest of the 311,000. I know if you're the one who's affected, the bigger picture doesn't make sense.\
The Deputy Minister urged applicants to submit their NSFAS consent forms promptly to enable NSFAS to verify the household incomes of parents and guardians.
NSFAS Consent Form
NSFAS is urging all applicants to submit a consent form to finalise their 2024 NSFAS bursary application. Failure to submit this form may lead to delays in funding confirmation by NSFAS.
Applicants should note that failure to submit the consent form will result in delays in processing their applications. The consent form ensures NSFAS compliance with all SARS requirements.
Nearly all applicants for an NSFAS 2024 bursary are required to submit a consent form, including those whose NSFAS statuses are Awaiting Evaluation, Financial Eligibility, and Application Data.
The only exceptions are South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant beneficiaries who have already been approved for funding. In such cases, no financial checks are conducted on the parents, guardians, or spouses of the applicants.
