The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) offers funding for higher education through bursaries and loans. This financial support covers tuition fees and also provides NSFAS allowances to assist with various student expenses.
NSFAS will also cover a student's registration fees and this is important for students to remember as universities and TVET Colleges commence with their 2025 registration periods.
NSFAS has said:
NSFAS reminds all qualifying students not to pay any registration fee to institutions.
The NSFAS Administrator, Freeman Nomvalo, has said that students with a "provisionally funded" NSFAS status can register when their institution's registration opens. After this, NSFAS can confirm your funding and put plans in place to make disbursements.
NSFAS TVET College Applications Now Open For 2025
Previously, NSFAS stated that they would not be making a walk-in application period available for TVET College students in January 2025. Now, NSFAS has announced that they will be offering January applications after all.
A circular released by NSFAS read:
This circular cancels the previous communication contained in Circular 9 of 2024, which stated that NSFAS will not be opening 2025 TVET walk-in applications in January 2025.
NSFAS walk-in applications for TVET College students for 2025 are now open and will close on 24 January 2025.
By the 15 December closing date, NSFAS revealed that they received 890 599 bursary applications and 17 369 loan applications. Students who have outstanding documents have 30 days from receiving a notice, to submit them. Applicants who fail to submit their outstanding documents will have their NSFAS application cancelled.
"We also remind those who have not yet submitted their outstanding supporting documents to do so urgently, to allow NSFAS to finalise their funding decisions," said NSFAS.
2025 NSFAS Accommodation Applications Now Open
NSFAS has officially launched its student accommodation portal for the 2025 academic year. Students can now apply for accommodation. Students can now apply for and secure accommodation through this system, which aims to provide safe, quality housing in partnership with accredited providers.
Applications for NSFAS accommodation opened on 6 January 2025 and will remain available until all NSFAS-accredited properties are fully booked. Students can apply for accommodation directly, while private providers can register their properties to be considered for housing NSFAS-funded students.