What Happens To Nsfas Financial Eligibility If Parents Aren't SARS Registered?

When applying for a bursary from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), there are a number of eligibility requirements you need to meet, as well as various supporting documents you need to submit along with your application.

Nsfas is a government bursary scheme that pays for tuition fees, accommodation (while you are studying), and provides an allowance to cover your expenses and study materials such as laptops and textbooks. 

One of these documents you'll be required to provide, is proof of your parent/guardian/spouse's income. Other supporting documents include:

1. Your own cellphone number and email address.
2. A copy of your ID or birth certificate.
3. ID copies of parents, guardian or spouse (or death certificate where applicable).
4. Marriage certificate (where applicable).
5. Your proof of income or 1 year’s IRP5 (if applicable).
6. A court order (where applicable).
7. Applicants with a disability must submit a completed and signed Disability Annexure A Form.
8. An applicant who is recognised as a Vulnerable Child by the Department of Social Development must provide a completed and signed Vulnerable Child Declaration and Consent Form. There is a separate Consent Form relating to checking your information on the SARS database.

To qualify for Nsfas, applicants must come from a family with a combined annual household income of not more than R350 000 per annum (in the case of students with a disability, the combined annual household income may not exceed R600 000 per annum).

However, in some cases, your parent/guardian/spouse may not be registered with SARS, like if they run an informal business for example.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS), administers the country's tax system and customs service. SARS collects all revenues due, ensures optimal compliance with tax and customs legislation, and provide a customs and excise service that will facilitate legitimate trade as well as protect the economy and society. 

When applying for Nsfas funding, Nsfas officials will verify all the supporting documents provided, and so, they will verify your parent/guardian/spouse's proof of income to make sure that you fall within the funding eligibility; in other words, NSFAS will check via SARS that your household income is not exceeding the threshold. 

In that case, alternate proof of income documents will suffice, such as a signed affidavit from the police station, or you can check the declared income (income which is indicated on your application) as well as credit bureau checks. 

Other alternative proof of income documents that will be accepted include:

1. Certified or official copy of recent payslip, letter of employment, not older than three months, for each parent, or the person who supports you, or your guardian or yourself if you are employed; this applies for all types of employment or all forms of income for all members of the household and includes any income received from SASSA grants, Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), or any retirement, life, disability, or other benefits paid as a lump sum or in monthly payments.

2. If your parents or the person who supports you or your legal guardian are retired, you have to provide a copy of an official pension slip or bank statement showing pension payment.
3. If your parents or the person who supports you or your legal guardian works as an informal trader, you have to provide an affidavit signed by them to confirm this employment.
4. If either of your parents is deceased, you have to provide a certified copy of the death certificate.
5. If your parents are divorced, you have to provide a certified copy of the divorce decree.
6. If either of your parents does not live at home, you have to provide an affidavit explaining the reasons.
7. Certified copy of a SASSA letter if any of your family members are receiving a social grant and are also contributing to your household income. This also applies to your legal guardian.
8. If you have indicated that a dependent in your household is a student, you have to provide proof of registration or acceptance at a TVET college or university for each dependent.

Certain documents that are required will be specific to your application, therefore the system will generate a list of documents to upload based on your application. 

Nsfas has warned prospective NSFAS applicants that their application’s will not be processed without the relevant supporting documents and students are urged to upload the correct supporting documents to avoid any delays.