NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) is a South African government entity that provides financial assistance to eligible students to help them pay for their higher education. The aim of NSFAS is to make tertiary education more accessible to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who may not be able to afford the cost of tuition fees and other related expenses, like accommodation, on their own.
NSFAS provides funding in the form of bursaries, which students can use to cover tuition fees, accommodation, textbooks and other necessary expenses. The scheme is managed by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and has been operating since 1999.
The 2023 NSFAS bursary application period is now open. It is expected that thousands of students will submit funding applications for the comprehensive NSFAS bursary.
NSFAS provides comprehensive bursaries to funded students. These bursaries cover tuition and accommodation costs. Students are also provided with a meal allowance, transport allowance and stationery allowance.
Students can apply for the NSFAS bursary on the myNSFAS online portal. It is free to submit a NSFAS bursary application.
Bursary applicants are required to meet special requirements to qualify for funding. They will also need to complete and submit several forms and documents to support their funding application.
One of these forms is the Non-Sassa declaration form. This form applies to adult applications that are either self-sufficient or estranged for their parents.
So why must adult applicants (self-sufficient/estranged from parents) complete the Declaration: Non-Sassa?
In terms of the South African legal framework, biological parents are primarily responsible for the student’s maintenance, which includes the provision of education, of their biological children (including those above the age of 23), irrespective of the relationship between parents or the relationship between parents and their children.
Applications for NSFAS bursaries open towards the end of a calendar year in preparation for the following academic year.
A student will be preliminarily funded if they meet all the NSFAS requirements. Only once the student registers at a university or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college, will they begin receiving allowances.
