The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) is a government bursary that covers a number of essential costs such as tuition fees, food, accommodation, books and travel allowances for students pursuing their studies at an institution of higher learning.
The bursary scheme has specific eligibility criteria that applicants will need to take a look at before applying for the bursary.
According to Nsfas, Sassa recipients automatically qualify, skipping right through the financial eligibility stage.
For returning students, Nsfas will conduct financial checks, meaning these students do not qualify automatically.
Nsfas will follow its own process of checking whether or not the student has a previous qualification. The outcome received by the government bursary will then inform Nsfas on the next step to be taken.
Should the student be one of the millions of individuals benefiting from the temporary Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant (once their funding application has been approved by Nsfas) they will no longer receive the grant. This will also be updated on the Sassa SRD grant system.
The SRD grant application system will provide the individual with a ‘Nsfas registered’ grant application status. The bursary provides its students with a monthly meal allowance, and as a result, the student does not meet the eligibility criteria since Nsfas is also a form of a government grant.
