The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) held a briefing on Monday morning to provide updates on the registration process, payment of NSFAS allowances and the student accommodation pilot project.
During the briefing, NSFAS Acting Chairperson, Prof. Lourens Van Staden, revealed that NSFAS has processed around 23 000 applications a day and prioritised those who received firm offers from universities and TVET Colleges.
When NSFAS applications closed on 15 February, more than 1.9 million applications were received on the NSFAS student portal. Of these applications:
- 1.2 million applicants are provisionally funded
- 108 345 registrations received
- 59 723 applications are awaiting evaluation
- 94 816 applications are awaiting supporting documents
- 84 225 NSFAS applications were withdrawn
- 52 038 applications are in progress
- 130 468 applications are on the 'non-started' status which are applicants who created a myNSFAS profile but didn't apply
- 234 113 applications were rejected
2024 NSFAS Appeals
NSFAS has revealed that of the almost 2 million NSFAS applications received on the NSFAS portal, 234 113 of these were rejected. NSFAS applications which are rejected can have a second chance at consideration by submitting a NSFAS appeal.
As of 1 March, NSFAS has received 15 174 NSFAS appeals.
Applicants have 30 days from when they were rejected to submit a NSFAS appeal.
NSFAS Missing Middle Loans
2024 would be the first year that NSFAS offers missing middle loans to those students who don't qualify for NSFAS. When NSFAS loan applications closed on 15 February, the financial aid scheme received 30 728 NSFAS loan applications.
We have pre-assessed and determined students who pre-qualify for the loan. Communication was sent to the affected students via the student portal to confirm whether or not they accept for NSFAS to process their loan application.
Van Staden revealed that the next step they would take is for NSFAS to communicate with institutions to request that they submit admission data for registered students.
31 008 missing middle students will be provided with student loans, for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. 70% of these loans will be for STEM qualifications and the remaining 30% will be targeted towards social sciences qualifications.
