NSFAS Student Accommodation
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande says the National Student Financial Aid (NSFAS) accommodation pilot project has begun at several universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges around South Africa.
In 2022, NSFAS launched an accommodation portal which allows accommodation providers to register their properties for consideration to house NSFAS-funded students. The portal was introduced to ensure students live in accommodation facilities that are conducive to learning.
NSFAS Accommodation Portal
They believe the implementation of the accommodation pilot is a significant step in enhancing and improving the student accommodation landscape in seventeen Universities and twenty-three TVET Colleges for the upcoming 2024 academic year. This is being done ensure that student accommodation service providers deliver accommodation that is accessible, decent, safe, and academically conducive for all students.
The minister briefed members of the media on Tuesday on the State of Readiness for the 2024 academic year, NSFAS-related updates and the release of the 2024 matric results.
NSFAS already communicated the list of all the accredited accommodation providers in each institution, to a campus level, where beds are available.
The pilot programme aims to assign students to available accommodation, accredit accommodation providers, pay accommodation fees through secured platforms, and grade accommodation to establish a standard and set a cap for accommodation.
By accrediting accommodation providers, NSFAS aims to encourage the provision of suitable accommodation options for students, combat substandard accommodation, and ensure fair compensation according to grading.
Nzimande revealed that NSFAS has successfully engaged with individual institutions, accrediting a significant number of beds in both TVET Colleges and Universities.
For TVET Colleges, out of 38,938 registered beds, 25,989 are accredited and available, with 12,949 in the process of being accredited.
For Universities, out of 67,337 registered beds, 42,965 are accredited and available, with 24,372 in the process of being accredited.
Accommodation Providers (APs) are thoroughly assessed and evaluated based on grading criteria. The criteria include the quality of facilities, security measures, health and safety standards, and compliance with DHET norms and standards and relevant regulations.
To ensure a smooth registration process for students, NSFAS has been providing weekly training on the application and registration process to accommodation providers and students. This training commenced on 8 January 2024 and will continue in February 2024.
Nzimande adds that from 18 January 2024, NSFAS provided access to a portal for all institutions to view the available beds. Accrediting Agents are actively working on the accreditation process, and the list is updated daily.
NSFAS has also developed a plan to visit hotspot areas during the registration period to ensure that students are not left stranded for accommodation in all institutions.
Nzimande called on institutions to submit the list of NSFAS-funded students who have been registered so that they can apply for accommodation through the NSFAS accommodation portal.
