The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provides students with a NSFAS wallet which allows NSFAS-funded students at certain tertiary institutions, to withdraw cash or spend it at any merchant registered by NSFAS.
Allowance amounts are determined through consultation with institutions, communicated to NSFAS when you register.
If you are wondering how to check your NSFAS Wallet balance, do the following:
To view your NSFAS Wallet cash balance (and transactions):
On your cellphone:
- Dial short code *134*176#
- Enter your password
- Click Send
- Select option 2. Query
- View cash balance and transactions
On the internet:
- Enter the following link into your browser https://celbux.appspot.com
- Log into your account by typing in your cellphone number and password and click the Login button
- Click More
- Click Transactions
- View transactions
Students must ensure that they have access to their cellphone number that they provided to NSFAS when applying for funding. This is because that number will be used to deposit their funds.
If your contact details have changed then you may update your cellphone number by registering on myNSFAS with your Facebook or Google account and then updating the number. This number must be accessible by you at all times.
What is NSFAS?
NSFAS is a South African government-funded program that provides financial assistance in the form of bursaries to eligible South African students who are enrolled in tertiary education institutions. NSFAS aims to enable academically capable students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access higher education and obtain a qualification.
NSFAS provides financial assistance to cover tuition fees, accommodation, and other related costs such as books, meals, and transport.
To be eligible for NSFAS funding, students need to meet certain criteria, including being South African citizens, coming from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, being enrolled or accepted at a public higher education institution, and meeting the academic requirements set by the institution. Students need to apply for NSFAS funding annually and provide relevant financial and academic information for consideration.
NSFAS plays an important role in promoting access to higher education for students who would otherwise not be able to afford it, and it is aimed at addressing financial barriers to education and promoting social mobility in South Africa.
