Due to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) providing bursaries, one might wonder whether they will pay for short courses as well. Here's the answer.
NSFAS offers bursaries for South African students from poor and working class families studying at public universities and TVET colleges. Once you are approved for NSFAS funding, the funding covers you until you finish your qualification.
However, NSFAS does not fund short courses, even if you're doing them through a University.
The financial aid scheme only covers full-time qualifications administered through a University or TVET College. This means that NSFAS does not fund part-time studies students or students from private institutions.
NSFAS does however fund Unisa students. A different approach is in place as Unisa has students participating in distance learning. This then means that the categories of allowances allocated to students are different.
Unisa students who are funded through NSFAS only receive a Learning Materials Allowance and Living Allowance.
If you plan on studying at a University or TVET College and have passed Grade 9 to 12, you tick some of the boxes to be funded by NSFAS. The other requirements are as follows:
- You're a South African citizen
- If you're a SASSA grant recipient, you qualify for funding
- You have a combined household income of not more than R350 000 per year
- Person with disability: Combined household income must not be more than R600 000 per year
NSFAS is a government student bursary scheme which means that it receives its funding budget from, and reports to the Department of Higher Education and Training.
