The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provides comprehensive bursaries to poor and working-class students which enable them to pursue a higher education qualification. These qualifications must be offered at an approved public university or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college.
The comprehensive funding by NSFAS includes money for tuition and registration fees along with several allowances. These allowances encompass transport expenses, living costs, expenses for learning materials, and accommodation costs.
How NSFAS Funding Works For Disabled Students
NSFAS provides funding to students living with disabilities. It's important to note that there are several differences in the way that NSFAS funds students living with disabilities.
Unlike able-bodied students who may not have a household income exceeding R350,000 to qualify for a NSFAS bursary, students with disabilities may have a household income of up to R600,000 per annum.
Students living with disabilities are required to download and fill out a NSFAS Disability Annexure A form when applying for funding. If they require human assistance, they must submit a disability human support claim.
NSFAS Allowances For Students With Disabilities
Students with disabilities qualify for living allowances including meals at R20,000 per academic year. They qualify for a learning materials allowance of R6,000 per academic year for university students only.
Assistive Devices
Assistive Devices are external devices that are designed, made, or adapted to assist a person to perform a particular task. Many people with disabilities depend on assistive devices to enable them to carry out daily activities and participate actively and productively in community life.
NSFAS provides an assistive devices allowance limited to R50,000 as a once-off allowance. These students also qualify for repairs and maintenance of assistive devices to the value of R2,000 per academic year.
Students with disabilities do not automatically qualify for the allowance for assistive devices, or the repairs and maintenance thereof. The allowances are only granted if the student application for these allowances is approved, and all conditions and criteria are met as set out in this policy standard.
NSFAS says if students are successful in their application for financial aid and you have received notice of the final approval amount from NSFAS, they may arrange to purchase their assistive device through the student disability unit at your university or TVET college.
The university or TVET college can purchase the assistive device on your behalf.
In an effort to create an enabling and conducive environment for students with disabilities, TVET colleges will be developing and implementing disability support policies and establishing Disability Support Units (DSUs).
Its important to note that students with disabilities must provide a detailed medical report from a medical professional registered with the Health
Professions Council of South Africa is required to support their NSFAS application.
NSFAS says that any other chronic diseases or medical conditions can only be considered based on a full medical evaluation, and a detailed report outlining how the condition is manifested in the students’ difficulties in accessing teaching and learning, with or without support.
Other Bursary
NSFAS clarified that if a student receives funding from a source other than NSFAS and it doesn't cover the entire cost of their education, they can apply for NSFAS provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Similarly, if a student's external funding doesn't include allowances for disabilities as provided by NSFAS, they can apply for these allowances from NSFAS, again this contingent upon meeting the specified criteria.
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