NSFAS Login - How To Do NSFAS Status Check - Your Step By Step Guide

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Author: Raigan Cloete

Have you submitted your NSFAS application and you now wondering how to use myNSFAS to track your NSFAS online application process? We have the information you need to keep up to date with your NSFAS status.

If you need helping with checking your NSFAS status we can assist.

NSFAS Trimester 2 Funding

NSFAS opened applications for bursary funding for TVET students on the 12th May 2025 and this window closes on the 23rd May. Anyone wanting to study for Trimester 2 at a TVET College can apply during this time. But if you want to study at any other time DO NOT apply now.  Young people who want to study at university, or at a TVET College in Semester 2 must not apply now. 

Checking NSFAS Status

The NSFAS system works on what they call a 'student-centered' model. That means that each person applies for their own bursary, and NSFAS will communicate directly with you rather than your college or university.

That means that you must be active with your application and keep checking on your status to see whether NSFAS would like you to send any more documents to them.

Do A NSFAS Login To Check On MyNSFAS Status

NSFAS funding has become a very important tool for poor and working class South Africans to gain access to further and higher education. It stands for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and they currently send out more than R46 billion in financial aid.

The My NSFAS status is available for each person to check at any time. The NSFAS funding process is fairly simple. You can do a NSFAS status check to see how your application process is doing and whether your funding has been approved. Because of the student centered model of funding you can do a MyNSFAS status check at any time. You can also do a NSFAS status check using ID number.

What Does The MyNsfas Portal Status Show You?

Because NSFAS uses what they refer to as a 'student centered model' they deal directly with the student. So your MyNsfas portal status will show you everything you need to know about the status of your account with NSFAS. This includes whether NSFAS need any additional information from you and what the status of your application is. You will know that if you are provisionally funded - which means that you can confidently apply for a university or TVET College course, knowing that your fees will be paid if you are accepted.

What is the NSFAS N+1 Rule and How Does It Impact You?

NSFAS applications have grown dramatically in recent years. That's no surprise because the NSFAS bursary has expanded to cover registration and tuition fees. It can also in many cases cover accommodation. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme is by far the largest bursary scheme in the country. The N+1 rule means that even if you don't pass one year and end up taking a year longer to finish your degree, you will still be funded by NSFAS.

The financial assistance provided by NSFAS has helped millions of students obtain their tertiary education qualifications. Although there are sometimes complaints about the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, the majority of students who are funded by them do not have any problems.

A recent article on NSFAS financial assistance reported that over 60% of university students and 90% of TVET College students are funded by a NSFAS bursary. And the first step is a make a NSFAS online application. The NSFAS application status system works from the MyNSFAS student portal.

NSFAS Login on the NSFAS Portal

The NSFAS application system has been greatly improved in recent years, and people applying in 2024 don't have to submit many documents at all as part of the application process. You will easily be able to view your NSFAS application status to see that your application has been successfully captured.

Once your NSFAS bursary online application has been captured on the official NSFAS system you can do all your follow up checks there with your personal account linked to your ID number.

NSFAS Status Login

If you have applied for NSFAS funding you will want to check on your NSFAS application status to check whether you are one of the rare cases where supporting documents are needed. NSFAS applications have to be completed before the closing date via the NSFAS portal to qualify for the NSFAS allowance and tuition payments.

MyNSFAS Status Check

You need to login to your NSFAS account to check your NSFAS funding application and check the status of your NSFAS application. Checking NSFAS status is very important so follow the steps to run a NSFAS status check regularly.

A few years ago NSFAS introduced the principle of the student-centred approach where they deal directly with the student, and not through their university or college. This means that whenever you want to run a NSFAS status check you are able to do this yourself and you don't need your educational institution to do it for you.

This is much easier now that you can check your NSFAS application status online. You will also see if you have to submit a SARS Consent Form.

How To Check NSFAS Status

In order to access your NSFAS application status on myNSFAS, the NSFAS official website. This will give you information on the status of your application to NSFAS. 

• Login on the myNSFAS student portal. This will be your main NSFAS login point on the NSFAS website.

• Enter your username and password on the NSFAS official website and then click SIGN IN!

• Click on Track Your Funding Progress to check NSFAS applications status.

NSFAS Status Check

Once you have followed these three easy steps, you will be able to see whether you are have NSFAS funding or not from a NSFAS status check on the official NSFAS website.

It may take some time for your application to be successful so please be patient when you check your NSFAS status. You might also need to check your NSFAS application status a number of times.

Status Check NSFAS

Remember that your NSFAS funding application and your application to study at university or college are both different. So make sure you are also concentrating on your study application and provide all the information that they need to complete the application. You have to check Nsfas status, but also check your study application with the university or TVET College.

If you need to stay in res you must also make that application in good time. So you need to keep an eye on the status of your NSFAS application - and also the status of your academic application.

NSFAS Application status explained

Understanding what you're reading when you need to be checking NSFAS application status is very import, as detailed above under 'status check NSFAS'. Your application can be reviewed at any time by the staff at NSFAS so it can be very useful to keep running the NSFAS status check frequently in case your application status has been approved. The most important hurdle that you have to clear is the financial eligibility clause which means your family income has to be less than the R350 000 per year maximum. 

There are many different NSFAS application status codes that are used and they have specific names. You will often see them on the NSFAS website when you do the NSFAS status check.  Here's what your NSFAS application status code means. You will see these codes when you check NSFAS status.

• Application Submitted: 

  • This status message means that your application has been loaded on to the NSFAS system successfully and is not directly related to your NSFAS status.

• Filtering: 

  • The system checks if you are a returning student and whether you have any previous qualifications. NSFAS will only fund you for your first qualification so if they find out that you have a qualification already you won't be able to get funding from them. So don't bother making a NSFAS application if you already have a post-school qualification.

• Validation: 

  • You will see that status message on the NSFAS website when NSFAS is conducting third party checks with SASSA and the Department of Home Affairs. They have to confirm if you are a SASSA beneficiary as this will help your bursary application.

  • If you have any problems with your ID number registration at Home Affairs it is best to correct that in good time before starting your NSFAS online application form.

• Evaluation: 

  • If you see this on the NSFAS website it means that NSFAS is verifying all the documents you have submitted during your application.

• Funding Eligibility: 

  • NSFAS is verifying your household financial status that was declared in your application. At the moment to qualify for NSFAS funding you must come from a household where the annual income is not more than R350,000 from either one or both of your parents.

  • If you as the applicant are living with a disability the annual household financial earning can be as high as R600,000. When you make your NSFAS application specify that you are applying as a studend with a disability.

• Awaiting Academic Results/Admission: 

  • NSFAS is checking your academic results and your institution admission status to ensure that you meet the requirements to be funded by NSFAS.

  • Many find themselves to stay on this step for a while. This is because NSFAS has to wait for information from your chosen institution.

• Awaiting Registration: 

  • NSFAS is receiving data from your institution to enable them to create a bursary agreement. This is another step students find themselves on for a while. This is because NSFAS has to wait for information from your chosen institution and once you have completed the registration process at the educational institution your funding will be released by NSFAS.

• Signing Of Agreement: 

  • At this stage, you need to sign your bursary agreement so that NSFAS can disburse your allowances.

• Payments: 

  • Your NSFAS allowance is are now being paid either through NSFAS mobile wallet system or through your institution. Students are advised to continue to monitor the myNSFAS portal for updates. The NSFAS portal has all the information you need on your application and allowances.

Track Funding Progress of Your NSFAS Application

It is very important to track the progress of your application for funding using the NSFAS status checking tools on the official NSFAS website. You need to make sure your application doesn't fall through the cracks.

NSFAS Login Portal Status Check

As NSFAS is dealing with so many applications each year it does happen in a small percentage of applications that there are problems and admin errors. You don't want that to be you!

Track NSFAS Status

If you do a Nsfas status check and then find out that there is a problem with your application, you can submit a Nsfas appeal. This explains why a NSFAS status check is so important. You can't just make your NSFAS application and then forget about it.

How To Submit A NSFAS Appeal

1. Log into your “MyNSFAS" account on the NSFAS website Click the 'Track Your Funding Progress' option
2. You should be able to use a computer or mobile device
3. Check the application progress tabs
4. If your application status reflects an unsuccessful message, you may submit an appeal by clicking on the 'Submit Appeal Tab'
5. Once you are on the 'Application Appeal' page, you can see the reason for your unsuccessful application status
6. You are then able to choose the appeal reason
7. Then upload certified required documents to support your reason
8. Then click 'Submit Appeal'
9. You may now track the progress of the appeal on your myNSFAS account. 

Make sure that you meet the eligibility criteria and that you have uploaded all the supporting documents before applying or submitting your appeal.

Eligibility Criteria For NSFAS Funding

• A combined household income of less than R350,000 per annum

• Have met the admission criteria for the institution you have applied at

• Acceptance to study at a registered South African university, public college or TVET college

• Be a South African citizen

• Sassa grant recipients immediately qualify for NSFAS funding

• If you are a student with a disability, your household income may not exceed R600,000 per annum

• If you are a continuing student then you will need to meet the necessary academic requirements for continued funding

NSFAS identifies eligible students through the means test.

Household financial status

It is important to remember that the current rule for NSFAS is that you only qualify if the family you come from has a combined annual household income of no more than R350,000.

However if you as the applicant are living with a disability there is additional support for you with a more generous household income threshold.

In your case the annual financial income can be as high as R600,000 and you will still qualify for NSFAS. It is not worth giving false information on your NSFAS application as the organisation will check and if they find out later that you don't qualify, your funding will be cancelled and your NSFAS allowance will be cancelled.

What does NSFAS cover? Is it just tuition fees?

NSFAS applicants should know that as well as their study fees the NSFAS bursary will also help them cover their accommodation costs.

There are additional rules about who qualifies for financial assistance for their accommodation. This is usually determined by how far you live from the varsity or college you will be attending.

You will specify with you NSFAS application status where you live so they will know how far you are from the campus where you still study. The details of the allowances for travel are listed on the official NSFAS website.

Depending on whether you are a TVET College or varsity student there are also different rules about the living allowance you will receive with your NSFAS bursary. This is because TVET Colleges normally provide text books for their students - while universities require students to purchase their own text books.

How Are Allowances Paid To Students 

One of the NSFAS advantages is that allowances are paid to students through the NSFAS bank account. Students must register with the service provider allocated to their institution to access their NSFAS bank account and receive their NSFAS bank card. That isn't done at the time of the NSFAS applications, but only later when the funding is approved.

Which Service Provider Must Students Register With

Tenet Technologies

Tenet Technologies will provide services to students at the Cape Peninsula University Of Technology, University Of KwaZulu Natal, University of Venda, University of Pretoria, University of Witwatersrand and Walter Sisulu University. 

Coinvest

Students attending Rhodes University, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Stellenbosch University,  University of Cape Town,  University of Mpumalanga and University of South Africa must register with Coinvest. 

Norraco

Norraco has been tasked with paying allowances directly to students enrolled at theCentral University Of Technology, Mangosuthu University Of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, North West University, University Of Fort Hare, University Of Johannesburg And University Of Western Cape. 

Ezaga

Ezaga will distribute allowances to students registered at Durban University Of Technology, Tshwane University Of Technology University Of Free State University Of Limpopo University Of Zululand and the Vaal University Of Technology. 

History of NSFAS

NSFAS is a South African government-funded organisation that provides financial aid to eligible students who cannot afford tertiary education.

Its goal is to promote access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the aim of creating a more equal society. A NSFAS application has been the start of many young people vastly improving their prospects.

Since its establishment in 1991, NSFAS has assisted countless students in pursuing their dreams of higher education, and continues to play an important role in providing financial assistance and supporting education in South Africa.

The organisation was originally called the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa but this was changed in 1999 to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. The financial aid available has increased from about R700m when it started to over R6 billion in 2022.

This increased funding to support the ANC government's pledge of fee-free education for poor South Africans has meant that over 700,000 students were funded in the last year.

NSFAS is available to fund students for their first qualification after Matric.

Do NSFAS Fund Postgraduate Studies?

As of the 2021 academic year, NSFAS announced they would no longer provide funding for postgraduate courses. This includes postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas, honours degrees, masters and PhD degrees.

If you want to go on to do a postgraduate qualification you will need to look to other sources of funding. The National Research Foundation or the NRF is the most common funder of second, third and later qualifications.

We hope you have found this article about how to check on your NSFAS status helpful. If you need to appeal when you are declined then you should read our article:

How to Check Your NSFAS Appeal Status

NSFAS Contact Details

NSFAS is the National Student Financial Aid Scheme which is a government bursary fund for students through the NSFAS funding. We have the NSFAS contact details for you.  

NSFAS application status and registration process opens in the later part of the year for eligible students with the NSFAS closing date usually being in the next calendar year. It can be very difficult to contact NSFAS directly because they always have to many enquiries each year.

NSFAS gives bursaries to students from poor and working class backgrounds which goes beyond just paying for your fees. They'll also pay for your registration, accommodation, transport, books through their NSFAS allowance payments.

Cape Town City Centre

The physical address of the NSFAS head office and contact centre is in the Cape town City centre. However applicants or returning students don't have to attend the centre in person. You can register an account on the MyNsfas website - just make sure you remember your Nsfas login details.

NSFAS Email Address and Other NSFAS Contact Details

Applicants or returning students can contact NSFAS via the contact center Toll free number 08000 67327 on Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 17:00.

You can also contact NSFAS via their email address [email protected].

These are the details you need for NSFAS wallet enquiries.

FAQs About NSFAS

1. Can I apply for NSFAS if I'm already a university student? Yes, students already enrolled at a university or TVET college can apply for NSFAS funding, provided they meet the qualifying criteria.

2. Does NSFAS fund postgraduate studies? NSFAS funding is typically for undergraduate courses. Some postgraduate qualifications, like PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education), may be funded based on the availability of funds and the field of study.

3. What happens if I fail some modules, will NSFAS continue to fund me? NSFAS may continue to fund you, but it depends on the NSFAS policy at the time. Typically, you need to pass a certain percentage of your modules to continue receiving funding.

4. When do I need to reapply for NSFAS? Students don't need to reapply for NSFAS each academic year within the specified application period as long as they pass their courses. The financial aid application at the start of the course covers the whole degree or diploma course.

5. Can NSFAS give funding to me if I'm studying part-time? Part-time students at universities are not typically funded by NSFAS. However, some part-time students at TVET colleges may be eligible for NSFAS funding, subject to meeting other qualifying criteria.

6. What does NSFAS funding cover? NSFAS provides coverage for a range of student necessities, including study fees, accommodation, meals, transport, and learning materials.

7. Is NSFAS a loan or a bursary? Since 2018, NSFAS has been converted into a bursary scheme for qualifying students, which means it does not need to be repaid. Prior to that, it functioned as a loan system.

Related: How To Track Your Unisa Application