The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provides NSFAS funding to around a million students in South Africa. Part of this NSFAS funding is that students receive NSFAS allowances every month.
NSFAS has now confirmed that allowances have been paid to all accommodation providers who submitted their queries on the official NSFAS channel.
NSFAS is pleased to announce that a bulk payment of accommodation allowances was processed by the end of May and the Beginning of June 2024.
The financial aid scheme has made a plea with landlords to not evict students. NSFAS administrator Freeman Nomvalo called on all landlords who have not yet submitted their claims to send their queries to the dedicated email address [email protected].
NSFAS scheduled an allowance payment to be made no later than 18 June 2024 to clear all legitimate clients. They have also made the following clear:
May-July allowances will be paid by the last day of each month.
How NSFAS Allowances Are Being Paid
NSFAS recently announced that the NSFAS Direct bank accounts will no longer be used. This comes after irregular activity was found between NSFAS stakeholders and the service providers.
University NSFAS Allowances
Seeing that the NSFAS bank account is no longer being used for NSFAS allowance payments, the financial aid scheme has announced that universities will distribute NSFAS allowances directly to students until the end of July.
TVET College NSFAS Allowances
All TVET college students funded by NSFAS will receive their allowances directly deposited into their personal bank accounts. Students can choose a bank of their choice if they do not already have a bank account.
NSFAS is urging all TVET college students to submit their banking details through the myNSFAS portal to ensure a smooth transition to the new system and prevent delays in allowance payments.
It's important to note that only students with confirmed funding and submitted registration data can add their banking details on the myNSFAS portal. NSFAS will verify all submitted bank accounts.
How Much NSFAS Allowances Are For June 2024
For university students, the living allowance will be R16,500 annually, which includes R3,045 for personal care and R13,455 for meals. Additionally, university students receive a learning material allowance of up to R5,460.
TVET college students receive a living allowance of R10,000 annually. The learning material allowance for TVET students varies depending on the courses they are registered for.
Special provisions are made for students with disabilities, who receive higher living allowances and a learning materials allowance. However, certain conditions apply, such as eligibility for allowances only during simulated training for some TVET students.
NSFAS meal and personal care allowances are divided into 10 payments. This means that in June, students will receive a meal allowance of R1,345. Students who live in catered accommodation will receive a personal care allowance of approximately R300.
If students live 10 km away from campus, they are eligible for a transportation allowance of R7,718 annually, which means students receive a monthly travel allowance of R771. It's important to note that this allowance will be given directly to the student if the institution hasn't arranged travel on their behalf.
Paying Outstanding Allowances
NSFAS is also committed to addressing allowance payment delays at King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) TVET College after student evictions due to lack of funds.
Following reports of student evictions, NSFAS met with KSD TVET College representatives and resolved to pay allowances to affected students at the Ngcobo campus starting 25 June 2024. NSFAS urged landlords for patience as they clear outstanding payments and reiterated a dedicated email address for inquiries ([email protected]).
To prevent future issues, NSFAS will launch provincial roadshows in July to understand institutional needs and improve the 2025 accommodation application process. These efforts aim to solve immediate challenges and provide better support for future student accommodation.
