The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) confirmed that universities will be responsible for distributing allowances to students. Several universities have unveiled their NSFAS allowance payment plans for 2025.
NSFAS provides comprehensive bursaries and student loans to deserving learners enrolled in approved courses at universities and TVET colleges. These bursaries cover tuition and registration fees, as well as several allowances for food, accommodation, and learning materials.
NSFAS allowances are divided into 10 payments during the academic year. The academic year commences in February and ends in November for most institutions and allowances are played for these months.
University of South Africa (Unisa)
Unisa will disburse NSFAS allowances for the first six months of 2025. The release date is tied to the registration closing date.
Unisa students receive two types of allowances: a Learning Material Allowance (cash for books and educational resources) and an Incidental Allowance (for daily expenses, available only to students registered for ten modules).
Students must upload their banking details. Only personal bank accounts are accepted, and verification is required. Students are advised to monitor their submission status to avoid delays.
Vaal University of Technology (VUT)
VUT will deposit book and meal allowances directly into students’ bank accounts.
Both NSFAS-funded and privately sponsored students must update their banking details on the VUT ITS iEnabler platform. Payments are made after registration and sponsor payments are confirmed.
Students must provide accurate banking details, ensure their accounts are active, and upload a bank confirmation letter (not older than three months) along with a certified copy of their ID. VUT advises against using Tyme and Discovery banks due to security concerns.
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
CPUT will disburse NSFAS allowances via the Fundi platform. Students were required to capture their banking details on Fundi before 24 February 2025 to receive payments on time.
Students in private accommodation must ensure their landlords register details and lease agreements on the Fundi portal. CPUT will initially pay allowances based on 2024 values while awaiting NSFAS confirmation on 2025 amounts.
University of Cape Town (UCT)
The University of Cape Town said NSFAS has confirmed that universities may continue to pay student allowances to qualifying NSFAS funded students in 2025, for at least the first semester.
A decision on the second semester allowance payments will be taken late.
Nelson Mandela University (NMU)
Nelson Mandela University (NMU) acknowledged the Minister Nobuhle Nkabanes’s NSFAS allowance increase announcement but confirmed that students will not receive increased amounts.
As soon as communication is received, & it necessitates correction of allowances already paid: the office shall immediately make the adjustment & make the outstanding allowances available for students to utilise.
NMU says it will only implement an allowance increase once it receives official communication from NSFAS. For now, students will receive a living allowance of R1,650 and a book allowance of R2,730.
University of the Free State (UFS)
NSFAS funding has been allocated to 25,551 students, with 22,246 registered. Allowances were disbursed to 14,303 students on 3 February 2025. A second round of interim allowances was paid to 7,943 students on 17 February 2025.
North-West University (NWU)
North-West University said NSFAS allowances scheduled for 21 February 2025 were delayed due to technical issues. Smaller batch payments began over the weekend, with 7,097 payments made on 22 February and 20,421 more on 24 February.
Students who have not uploaded their banking details on the NWU DIY platform are excluded from payments.
Qualifying students will receive their February and March living allowances by the end of the week. The remaining 50% of book allowances are in due course.
University of Pretoria (UP)
The University of Pretoria confirmed the application system for the 2025 NSFAS allowance is open. Students must apply via the UP portal.
University of Johannesburg (UJ)
UJ has uploaded their funded list. Students can check their student numbers on this list to see if they will be funded by NSFAS for the 2025 academic year.
Sol Plaatjie University (SPU)
Sol Plaatjie University confirmed that the majority of its NSFAS funded students have been paid their allowances for February and March. They revealed that around 900 First Time Entering students were paid their Book Allowances and their February and March Meal Allowances while around 2900 Returning Students have been paid their Book Allowances and their February and March Meal Allowances.
SPU added that if a student’s name does not appear on the 2025 funded list, follow up actions need to be undertaken directly with NSFAS by staff in the Finance Department, and a resolution may take some time.
The process of allowance disbursements is continuing and will continue until all funded students have been paid, as has been communicated on various platforms.
Why Universities Are Paying Allowances
In 2024, NSFAS confirmed they no longer use the NSFAS Bank Account and instead said that university allowances will be paid to students through universities.
NSFAS planned for allowances for university students to be paid directly to their personal bank accounts. NSFAS has however been unable to put this in place due to an ongoing court case.
