The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has unveiled its eligibility criteria and funding conditions for the 2025 academic year. The announcement includes specific details on funding provisions for South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries.
NSFAS offers extensive financial aid in the form of bursaries and loans to qualifying students enrolled in approved programmes at universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. The funding covers tuition, registration fees, and allowances for accommodation, food, and learning materials.
Automatic Qualification for Sassa Grant Recipients
Students receiving Sassa grants are automatically eligible for NSFAS bursaries as they meet the financial criteria. To qualify, a student’s household income must not exceed R350,000 per year, a threshold all Sassa beneficiaries meet.
Any student who is a South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) recipient, as validated by NSFAS, automatically meets the financial eligibility criteria and will be eligible for a bursary award if they are registered at an institution and are academically eligible
Academic and Registration Requirements
Meeting the financial criteria alone does not guarantee funding. Students must be enrolled in an approved programme at a university or TVET college and meet NSFAS’s academic eligibility rules.
University students must maintain a course pass rate of 60%, while TVET college students must satisfy specific requirements. These include passing five subjects in the previous NC(V) level, passing at least three subjects in the previous N-Level, or meeting progression standards set by their institution for occupational courses.
Funding is only activated once a student’s registration is finalised.
Grant Limitations
Not all Sassa grants qualify for NSFAS funding. Only beneficiaries of the Foster Care Grant, Care Dependency Grant, and Child Support Grant are eligible.
Sassa grant recipients that are eligible for funding include the Foster Care, Care Dependency, and Child Support Grants.
This funding scheme aims to ensure financial support for deserving students while maintaining academic accountability.