The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has confirmed that some students at TVET colleges mistakenly received R13,800 in allowance payments for April 2025—an amount that includes funds intended for accommodation providers.
NSFAS offers bursaries and student loans to eligible students enrolled at South Africa’s public universities and TVET colleges. The funding typically covers tuition, registration, and includes allowances for food, transport, accommodation, and study materials.
However, in April, some students received a full R13,800 allowance, even though R10,000 of that amount was intended to go directly to NSFAS-accredited accommodation providers.
Discrepancy in Student Lists
NSFAS attributed the overpayments to inconsistencies in student data provided by solution partners and institutional confirmations. The organisation explained that a central student list is typically verified by institutions to confirm eligibility for either NSFAS-accredited accommodation or transport allowances.
Unfortunately, some students who received direct payments were not included in this global list, nor were they confirmed by the institution on time as eligible for accommodation. Consequently, allowances were disbursed to these students,
Students Urged to Pay Accommodation Providers
NSFAS is now urging affected students who live in NSFAS-accredited accommodation to pay the R10,000 directly to their landlords. Institutions have also been asked to assist students by providing the necessary payment details.
NSFAS kindly requests that institutions promptly inform students residing in NSFAS-accredited accommodation, who have received these funds intended for accommodation, to settle their outstanding payments with their landlords as soon as possible.
Students must collect payment details from their landlords, confirm the accredited amount, and provide proof of payment to their Financial Aid Office. Failure to do so could lead to eviction or deductions from future NSFAS payments.
"Please be aware that failure to do so may result in eviction or deductions from future allowances," the scheme warned.
NSFAS confirmed that full remittance details have been shared with institutions and encouraged students to act swiftly to avoid any negative consequences.
