The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provides crucial financial support to South African students, including bursaries and loans. This aid often includes allowances to cover essential living expenses.
Earlier this year NSFAS released the eligibility criteria and allowance details for the academic year. This article focuses on the allowances available to students at the University of South Africa (Unisa).
Unisa Allowances For NSFAS Students
NSFAS allowances are typically disbursed in 10 installments throughout the academic year, which generally runs from February to November.
Types of Allowances
- Bursaries:
- Distance Learning: Students enrolled in less than 60 course credits generally receive learning materials allowances.
- Full-Time Equivalent: Students studying a full-time equivalent course load may also be eligible for a personal care allowance.
- Loans: Students will only receive the learning material allowance to cover study-related expenses such as textbooks, study materials, and other learning resources.
Allowances for students in distance education programmes are calculated based on the number of
courses registered.
Unisa NSFAS Allowance Amounts
Unisa students who have NSFAS funding only receive NSFAS allowances for Learning Materials and a Living Allowance.
Learning Material Allowance is calculated based on the number of modules registered. Unisa students will then receive R700 per module for the first four modules and an R5 460 once-off amount for five or more modules.
This then means that should the amount of R5200 Learning Materials Allowance be paid for the first five modules, no additional Learning Materials Allowance will be paid for additional modules.
How Much Is Living Allowance for Unisa Students?
The Learning Material allowance is to be used for textbooks and other learning materials needed to complete their studies. Living Allowances are paid to students who are registered for ten or more modules.
Unfortunately, the accommodation allowance does not apply to Unisa students.
Do Unisa Students Get A Personal Care Allowance From NSFAS?
Unisa has also said that students registered for ten or more modules qualify for a personal care/incidental allowance of R304.50 per month for 10 months. The incidental allowance spans from February to November each year; incidental allowance helps cover student expenses during these months.
Besides paying NSFAS allowances, NSFAS will also pay for your tertiary education tuition fees and your registration fee.
Unisa NSFAS Allowance Payment Method
Unisa disburses NSFAS allowances directly into students' bank accounts via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). This aligns with the standard payment method for all university students.
NSFAS allowances are paid by the institution via EFT in the student’s bank account.
Students with inquiries or concerns regarding their NSFAS allowances should contact the Unisa student funding department at DSF-NSFAS@unisa.ac.za.
