Individuals who have a wish to study further but feel demotivated because there's no money to pay for it don't need to give up so fast. NSFAS will come to your rescue and pay for not only your tuition fees but also transport, books, laptops and even your rent if you choose to live away from home while you're studying.
“In the 2020 academic year, NSFAS has funded over 700 000 students; 248 242 at TVET colleges and 481 339 at universities (students with registration data), this is a 20% increase from the previous year after comparing registration data received in the same period in 2019," said Minister Nzimande.
NSFAS applications must be done online through the myNSFAS portal. You can reach the myNSFAS portal through this link: https://my.nsfas.org.za/Application/selfservice.jsp
You're going to need to create a myNSFAS account. To do this, you'll need a copy of your ID or birth certificate with your correct ID number as well as properly putting down your name and surname that's on your ID or birth certificate.
If you already have a myNSFAS account then all you'll need to do is log in and then start applying. You can't create more than one account on the portal for yourself.
You will then need to give your consent to allow NSFAS to verify your personal information with third parties, such as Home Affairs, before your profile is completely created. This is all done online and you won't need to submit or upload a consent form. You also need to accept the terms and conditions
Your ID number that you give will be linked to your name and surname and also your parents' details through Home Affairs.
You will also need to submit the following documents with your application:
- A copy of your ID
- Parent/guardian's proof of income
- Copies of your parent/guardian's IDs
- Disability Annexure A for applicants with disabilities
Minister Nzimande further urged, “We need to foster a culture of doing things on time and don’t leave them to the last hour. NSFAS has made arrangements to provide applications centres across the country, utilising facilities of generous stakeholders. These efforts are meant to bridge the gap in inequality”.