The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has confirmed its 2024 funding conditions and eligibility criteria. The information NSFAS provides is critical information about who will receive comprehensive funding from the bursary scheme.
NSFAS funding is comprehensive and not only covers tuition and registration fees but also provides students with several allowances. These allowances are aimed at ensuring students don’t have to worry about any additional expenses while they obtain their tertiary education qualification.
The comprehensive funding provided by NSFAS is also available to students living with Disabilities. In addition to the normal funding received by all students, NSFAS provides specific allowances for disabled students.
Living and Learning Material Allowances
Students with disabilities qualify for living allowances including meals at R20,000 per academic year. They also qualify for a learning materials allowance of R6,000 per academic year for university students only as learning material costs are covered by the TVET college allowance.
Students who find that their learning material allowances differ may submit a motivation to NSFAS for approval.
Assistive Devices
Assistive Devices are external devices that are designed, made, or adapted to assist a person to perform a particular task. Many people with disabilities depend on assistive devices to enable them to carry out daily activities and participate actively and productively in community life. This is the same with students who want to complete their studies.
The device must be relevant to the student’s Disability and must be in respect of devices that are required to facilitate access to teaching and learning resources.
NSFAS provides an assistive devices allowance limited to R50,000 as a once-off allowance. The financial aid scheme clarified that students only qualify for one assistive device over the duration of their studies.
However, An additional assistive device due to the changing needs of a student may be considered on condition the stipulated assistive device allowance is not exceeded over the study duration.
Repairs and Maintenance of Assistive Devices
NSFAS also provides a one-off allowance of R2,000 for repairs and maintenance of assistive devices. However, it's important to note that damage or breakage of the must be as a
result of normal wear and tear and not as a result of neglect, abuse or carelessness.
Students with disabilities do not automatically qualify for the allowance for assistive devices, or the repairs and maintenance thereof. The allowances are only granted if the student application for these allowances is approved, and all conditions and criteria are met as set out in this policy standard.
Examples Of Assistive Devices
Examples of assistive devices for various disabilities include wheelchairs, recorders (Tetra & Quadriplegic), boots (footwear), walking sticks, crutches, callipers, ferrules, walking frames, writing splints, ankle braces and splints, foot and leg orthotics for physical disabilities related to movement, mobility, or locomotor impairments.
For visual impairments or blindness, devices such as Perkins Braille, recorders/digital recorders, specialised digital devices (not standard digital devices/laptops), and spectacles/magnifiers (refraction only single vision, bifocals fixed tints) are utilised.
Hard of hearing or deaf individuals may benefit from hearing aids and ear moulds, as well as assistive listening devices (ALDs).
Learning disabilities and communication disorders such as ADD, ADHD, spectrum disorders, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dysphasia may require digital voice recorders, fluency devices, Autistic Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices, and other specialised aids as needed.
Human Support
Some students may require human support to aid their access to teaching and learning resources. If you're a University student, you can qualify for human support if recommended by a Registered Medical Professional and approved by the institution's Disability Unit and NSFAS.
This support is tailored to your specific needs and is capped at R50,000 per academic year. TVET College students will have their human support allowances disbursed by the colleges.
It's important to note that NSFAS will only pay for human support if the nature of the human support is recommended by the HPCSA registered and the institution confirms and supports the need for human support.
Examples of human support include guide dogs for individuals with visual impairments, scribes, note takers, carers, individual reading support, tutors, and sign language interpreters.
Assessment Costs
Determining a student's support requirements is essential for accessing the appropriate allowances. If requested by the Disability Unit, students may be eligible for an assessment cost allowance. This one-time allowance, limited to R2,000, covers the expenses associated with assessing your needs for human support or assistive devices.
