A new partnership will see fewer postgraduate students slipping through the cracks. This is thanks to an initiative which aims to create a seamless funding transition for students.
The National Research Foundation (NRF) has announced that it has partnered with the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to increase funding opportunities for postgraduate students.
The partnership, expected to take place over the course of the next five years, will start in April 2022. The start date of the partnership aligns with the annual call for postgraduate funding applications that the NRF opens each year.
The partnership will allow for undergraduate NSFAS students to be funded by the NRF once they pursue their postgraduate studies. This will in turn create a seamless transition for students, who would otherwise have to look into other ways to further fund their tertiary education after finishing their undergraduate studies.
NSFAS CEO, Mr Andile Nongogo, said, “While the scheme in terms of the policy can only fund first qualifications (undergraduates), it is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for its beneficiaries. This partnership with the NRF is the first of many partnerships and collaborations the scheme will enter into for the benefit of its beneficiaries”.
The partnership aims to mainly provide support to students who are South African citizens, black, female or people living with disabilities.
The NRF looks forward to the developments in research and innovation that will come about through this new partnership with NSFAS.
