Changes Made To Nsfas Appeals Process & N+Rule

Nsfas provides bursaries for students from poor and working-class backgrounds. These students must be attending a public university of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college in South Africa.

While Nsfas ensures that hundreds of thousands of students around the county can access tertiary education, the scheme will not cover students forever.

Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Blade Nzimande has announced that changes will be made to the N+Rule.

What Is The Nsfas N+Rule?

The N+2 rule means that students only have N+2 years to finish a degree. “N” refers to the minimum number of years allocated to achieve the qualification. Therefore if a degree can be completed in 4 years, Nsfas will fund you for the 4 years that you can complete the degree. They will also fund you for an additional 2 years if you need to redo certain subjects or modules.

Nzimande explained that students who no longer qualify for funding due to the N+rule, could be considered for funding if they can prove they require 60 or less course credits to complete a qualification. This is on the condition the student obtains support from the institution.

Nsfas developed a new appeals system that guides students through the appeals process. Nzimande acknowledged that it took a while for the system functionality to be optimal, he is happy with the quality of appeals decisions made through this process.

In the 2022 academic year, Nsfas received 40 000 appeal applications from students whose funding applications were rejected. The scheme has reviewed and processed around 28 000 of their appeals and provided the students with the outcome of their applications.

The remaining 12 000 appeal applications could not be processed as the required supporting documents were not attached and submitted.

Here’s How To Appeal An Unsuccessful Nsfas Application

Click here to visit the myNSFAS website.

1. Log into your myNSFAS account.
2. Click the 'Track Funding Progress' option.
3. Check the application progress tabs.
4. If your application status reflects an unsuccessful message, you may submit an appeal by clicking on the 'Submit Appeal Tab'.
5. Once you are on the 'Application Appeal' page, you can see the reason for your unsuccessful application status.
6. You are then able to choose the appeal reason.
7. Upload certified supporting documents to support your reason.
8. Click 'Submit Appeal'.

Applicants are also required to download and complete a relevant propensity letter to motivate their reasons for their NSFAS appeal.

Here are the relevant propensity letters:

1. Failure to meet academic eligibility (PDF)
2. Appealing N+1 (PDF)
3. N+2 students with disability (PDF)
4. Registered for 50% or less (final year course credits) to complete (PDF)

Once an appeal has been lodged with Nsfas, the bursary scheme will take around 30 days to respond to the appeal.