Applications for the 2025 National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) opened on 20 September 2024.
This gives young South Africans the opportunity to apply for financial aid to support their studies at universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges NSFAS provides comprehensive bursaries and student loans for eligible students, covering tuition, registration fees, and offering allowances for food, accommodation, and learning materials.
2025 NSFAS Applications
In the first 10 days of opening, NSFAS received 235,780 applications. Of these, 202,044 applicants have already been provisionally approved for funding in 2025.
These provisional approvals are mostly for South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant beneficiaries, who automatically qualify for NSFAS due to their household income meeting the eligibility criteria.
NSFAS shared in a statement:
To date, NSFAS has received a total of 235,780 applications from prospective recipients in need of financial aid. Within a week of opening applications, almost 202,044 Sassa beneficiaries have been provisionally approved for funding.
Breakdown of NSFAS Applications
- 60,021 applications are pending review
- 3,660 applications have been withdrawn
- 1,862 applications have been unsuccessful
Applications by Province
- KwaZulu-Natal: 109,026
- Gauteng: 31,491
- Limpopo: 21,234
- Eastern Cape: 13,478
- Mpumalanga: 10,704
- Free State: 6,314
- North West: 6,098
- Western Cape: 6,051
- Northern Cape: 849
Consent Form for Non-Sassa Applicants
Applicants who are not Sassa grant beneficiaries must submit an NSFAS consent form. This allows NSFAS to verify their financial need by obtaining information from third parties like the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Without this consent form, the confirmation of funding may be delayed.
Encouraging Early Applications for High School Learners
NSFAS urges high school learners in Grades 9 to 12 to submit their applications early, rather than waiting for final results.
NSFAS calls upon prospective applicants in Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 not to wait for their final results or the closing date before submitting their application
The 2025 NSFAS application period will close on 15 December 2024.
