Students around South Africa are still awaiting their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowance payment for the month of September. Delays in allowance payments come after NSFAS declared their confidence that allowances will be paid on 1 September 2023.
NSFAS is currently paying allowances to more than one million students enrolled in approved programs at public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges around South Africa.
Towards the end of August 2023, NSFAS disputed reports that allowance payments would be delayed until 5 September 2023. While acknowledging a glitch in their system, NSFAS were confident that allowances would be paid on time.
NSFAS will be paying allowances to students through its direct payment system on 1 September 2023.
The scheme explained that a technical glitch resulted in non-payment of allowance, however, they assured students that allowance payments would be paid by midnight on 31 August 2023.
Related Article: How To Login To MyNsfas Student Portal
Reasons Behind NSFAS Allowance Payment Delays
South African Union of Students (SAUS) President Yandisa Ndzoyiya says delays in allowance payments are caused by NSFAS. They explain that NSFAS failed to share payment files with its partners before allowances were due to be paid to students which ultimately led to payment delays.
In general, fintech partners have been writing to NSFAS to say that they, give us the payment files so that we are able to process the funds to students on time.
Ndzoyiya believes that if fintech companies receive payment files on the 25th of every month, they will be able to make allowance payments to students on time.
In September, Ndzoyiya alleges that payment files were only sent to fintech companies on the second of September which led to late allowance payments.
The partners that were expected to receive payment files on the 25th so that they are able to pay month-end could not receive the file from the 25th they received the files on the day the actual payment was made which was the 2nd of September
Ndzoyiya believes that Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande must be informed of the challenges and be advised on how to address the challenges to prevent the delay of allowance payments.
We do want to write to the minister and give an advice on how to better improve so that the system does not affect students receiving their allowances
They say SAUS held a meeting with the NSFAS board to voice their concerns about the delay in deliverance of payment files. They add that only when NSFAS end the payment files to the fintech companies, then allowances can be paid.
They emphasise the need for better communication and cooperation to ensure students receive their allowances on time.
