The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has announced that students will soon receive notification regarding the outcome of their appeals. This update comes as NSFAS continues to streamline its operations under the leadership of Administrator Freeman Nomvalo.
Nomvalo, appointed in April 2024, has been working diligently to address a backlog of unresolved NSFAS appeal cases. When Nomvalo took over, there were a staggering 88,000 appeals pending.
The delays in finalising Student Appeals, Loans and the 2023/2024 funded lists is directly connected to the current NSFAS ICT system. The only default position at this stage is to constantly introduce a manual process of verification which is completely cumbersome and overoverstretching staff.
Through concerted efforts, this number has been significantly reduced to approximately 27,000.
While NSFAS is currently processing around 4,000 appeals, it's important to note that this figure fluctuates as new appeals are submitted. Students can expect to receive communication about their appeal status by the end of August 2024.
Loan decisions also coming soon
In terms of NSFAS loans, Nomvalo explained that many applicants did not meet the eligibility criteria or failed to complete the full loan application process. It's crucial to understand that merely creating a profile on the myNSFAS system does not constitute a submitted application.
NSFAS has finalized loan decisions, and students will be notified of the outcome shortly. The scheme is committed to providing timely updates and ensuring that all students receive clear communication about their funding status.
