Higher education comes at a high price with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) providing bursaries and loans to students to assist. Included in NSFAS funding is allowances which cover student needs.
NSFAS has announced the eligibility requirements and conditions for financial aid in 2025. They have also outlined the allowances that university students can expect to receive during the 2025 academic year.
NSFAS allowances are divided into 10 payments every year, during the academic year. The academic year commences in February and ends in November for most institutions which means that NSFAS pays allowances from February until November only.
University NSFAS Allowances For 2025
NSFAS has confirmed that for the 2025 academic year, students can expect to receive the following allowances:
Bursaries
- Learning materials
- Living/personal care
- Only for students in non-catered residences
- Accommodation
- Capped according to area
- Transport
- For students who are not living on residence
Distance Learning Students
Distance learning university students will however receive a different set of NSFAS allowances as their needs are different.
NSFAS has made it clear that only distance learning students who are studying towards less than 60 course credits will only qualify for a learning materials allowance. Students who have a full course load will qualify for a personal care allowance as well.
Loans
- Accommodation
- Learning materials
The Minister of Higher Education, Nobuhle Nkabane, will soon announce how much NSFAS allowances for 2025 will be during her state of readiness briefing.
How University NSFAS Allowances Will Be Paid For 2025
During the second half of 2024, NSFAS made the announcement that they will no longer use the NSFAS Bank Account and instead said that university allowances will be paid to students through universities. On how students will receive allowance payments, NSFAS has said:
Allowances of students will be paid based on an approved NSFAS payment channel.
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.
Universities will therefore continue to pay allowances to students directly in 2025.
