The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provides the NSFAS bursary and loan which offers to cover all a student needs. This funding includes money for tuition and registration fees as well as several allowances for food, accommodation and learning materials.
Every year, thousands of students apply in hopes of gaining access to NSFAS funding. However, NSFAS funding comes with many criteria and conditions.
With NSFAS recently having released the eligibility criteria and conditions for financial aid for the 2025 academic year, they have answered one popular question: will NSFAS cover my studies if I have a partial bursary?
NSFAS Will Cover Students With Partial External Bursaries
NSFAS does not provide financial aid to students who have received loans, bursaries or scholarships from non-NSFAS sources. However, if a student receives a partial bursary, NSFAS has said:
To the extent that these do not cover the full cost of study, NSFAS funding will be considered provided that all eligibility criteria are met.
NSFAS Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for NSFAS funding while having a partial external bursary, students must meet the following criteria:
- Be a South African citizen or permanent resident.
- Be registered at a public university or TVET college that is NSFAS-funded.
- Have a household income which comes to less than R350 000 per year
- Ensure that the external bursary does not exceed the full cost of study.
If a student is awarded a partial bursary from another source, both the student and the institution must notify NSFAS of the funding terms within 10 days of receiving it. NSFAS funding will then be adjusted accordingly, and any excess funds must be returned to NSFAS during the reconciliation process.
What about NSFAS Loans?
NSFAS has said that students who have received loans, bursaries (including NSFAS funding), or scholarships from
non-NSFAS sources that cover their study costs or allowances will not qualify for a NSFAS loan.
NSFAS might demand early or immediate repayment of the NSFAS loan amount in full or withhold the loan if the student receives any other financial assistance in connection with the same course of study unless NSFAS has approved it.
NSFAS' decision to provide funding to students with partial bursaries from external sources aims to ensure that more students can access higher education without financial constraints.
