Thousands of students and prospective students apply for financial assistance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) every year. NSFAS offers both bursaries and loans to students who aren't able to afford to pay their own tuition fees.
Students hoping to pursue a second undergraduate qualification with financial assistance from NSFAS will be disappointed. NSFAS has made it clear that their funding policy does not cover students who have already obtained an undergraduate qualification and wish to pursue another.
NSFAS has made the following clear:
A student who has achieved an undergraduate qualification who wants to study on a second undergraduate qualification.
The financial aid scheme also explained that a student who has already obtained a certificate qualification and wants to pursue a second certificate qualification won't be found eligible to receive NSFAS funding.
Here are the other cases where NSFAS will not cover studies:
- Students who have secured loans, bursaries, or scholarships from sources other than NSFAS that fully cover their study costs or allowances.
- Students enrolled at institutions other than public universities or public TVET colleges.
- Students registered for qualifications that are not accredited by the Department of Higher Education and Training.
- Any student who fails to meet the NSFAS eligibility requirements.
NSFAS Eligibility Criteria
The financial eligibility criteria require applicants to have a household income below R350,000 per year, while students with disabilities may qualify with a household income of up to R600,000.
Sassa grant recipients automatically meet the financial criteria if they are registered and academically eligible, but only beneficiaries of Foster Care, Care Dependency, and Child Support grants qualify. NSFAS verifies income using third-party data, and applicants must provide accurate consent forms.
Returning university students must pass at least 60% of their modules, while TVET College students need a 70% pass rate or must meet subject-specific requirements.
National Certificate Vocational (NC(V)) students must pass five subjects, and Report 191 students must pass three. Students cannot exceed the N+Rule, which allows one additional year of funding beyond the standard duration of their qualification. Disabled students qualify for N+2.
