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.
NSFAS has recently released the eligibility criteria and allowance details for the 2025 academic year. This article focuses on the allowances available to students at the University of South Africa (Unisa).
Unisa Allowances For 2025
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 for 2025
The exact amount of NSFAS allowances for 2025 will be announced by the Minister of Higher Education, Nobuhle Nkabane, during the upcoming state of readiness briefing.
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 [email protected].
