The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) opened applications for student funding towards the end of the previous month, according to Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande.
He also announced several improvements meant to simplify the application procedure for applicants. One of them, according to a recent social media post, is that when submitting an online application, Nsfas requests your parent's or legal guardian's ID copy rather than your own.
Please note that when submitting an online application for NSFAS financing, we only need a copy of your parent(s) or legal guardian's ID; we do not need a copy of your ID. Please continue reading and keep in mind that applications conclude on 3 January 2023.
The Nsfas application system has now seen enhancements to make it similar to other application systems prospective students are using.
As a result of these changes, the NSFAS application process can now be stopped and resumed at a later time without having to start over completely.
Nsfas applications can be submitted online by using myNsfas. Additional application channels established by Nsfas include mobile apps, a USSD code and WhatsApp. Applicants will be able to track their applications and cancel them on these platforms as well.
Furthermore, to ensure that applicants without access to technology can still apply, Nsfas also launched an outreach campaign.
On prior application windows when students applied for funding during the previous academic year, student leaders complained about several difficulties. According to reports, the system would occasionally shut down because it was unable to handle the volume of traffic.
However, the Nsfas has been striving to develop a separate and secure a payment system that will enable students to receive their monthly allowances via a bank card called the Nsfas Mastercard to address these delays as well as other allowance disbursement-related problems.
The payment of allowances will proceed more smoothly with the introduction of this payment method since delays that students have been experiencing with the current payment system will no longer occur.
All of its recipients will receive the NSFAS Mastercard starting in the 2023–2024 school year. The payment option will first be tested by a small sample of students, and only then will a staged roll-out of the complete system start.
