NSFAS Releases Allowance Payment Dates For March 2025

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) plays a crucial role in empowering South African students by providing comprehensive NSFAS bursaries and student loans. This government initiative aims to cover all essential study-related expenses, ensuring financial barriers don't hinder access to quality education.

Whether you're attending one of South Africa's 26 public universities or 50 TVET colleges, NSFAS funding can cover a significant portion of your tuition and related costs.

NSFAS funding isn't just limited to tuition and registration fees. Students also receive vital NSFAS allowances to support their living and study expenses.

With the 2025 academic year underway, NSFAS has already made its second upfront payment to universities in early March. University students can anticipate their NSFAS allowance payments to begin after 7 March.

NSFAS has also disbursed funds to TVET colleges, ensuring that two months' worth of allowances are available for eligible students. Payments are based on "valid registrations received," emphasizing the importance of accurate registration data.

At the commencement of the business day on the 4th March 2025, we had 18 TVET Colleges which had uploaded registrations. As a result, NSFAS made the initial payments to these 18 TVET colleges’ students.

To address potential delays, NSFAS conducted a second payment run on 14 March 2025, to include students whose registration data was uploaded after the initial deadline.

Following confirmation of the 2025 allowance caps, the NSFAS portal is ready to receive valid registration data. Institutions are strongly encouraged to submit their registration data to avoid delayed payment of allowances. 

NSFAS has released information regarding the 2025 allowance amounts. These allowances are distributed in ten installments throughout the academic year.

2025 NSFAS Allowances For University Students

For the first half of 2025, universities will continue to pay students their NSFAS allowances. Students should contact their Universities financial aid offices for detailed information relating to how their allowances will be paid.

2025 NSFAS Allowances For TVET College Students

For 2025, TVET College students will continue to receive their allowances directly into their personal bank accounts. It is crucial for students to ensure their bank details on the myNSFAS portal are up to date.