The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a government student bursary scheme which receives its funding budget from, and reports to the Department of Higher Education and Training. NSFAS will cover more than just your tuition fees, should you qualify.
NSFAS offers bursaries to South African students who plan to study at public universities and TVET colleges. They cover funding for registration, tuition and allowances.
So how much should your parents earn for you to qualify for this bursary?
NSFAS has stated that your combined household income should be under R350 000 per year for you to qualify. If you are a person living with a disability, your combined annual household income should be less than R600 000.
Other NSFAS requirements include the following:
- You are a South African citizen
- Financial constraints which doesn't allow you to fund your own studies such as:
- You are a SASSA grant recipient
- You are applying to get a formal qualification from a public university or TVET College
- You passed grade 9 to 12 (for those applying for TVET funding)
- You passed grade 12 (for those applying for University funding)
Once approved for the bursary, the only requirement to stay funded is that students need to pass their modules.
NSFAS will fund students for the entire duration of their course or degree. Most degrees take about 3 to 4 years, whereas medical degrees for example take up to 7 years. However, they will fund an extra year of study should a student fail one year.
