The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has confirmed whether students will be automatically funded for their second year of funding.
NSFAS provides comprehensive bursaries and student loans to deserving students enrolled in approved courses at universities and TVET colleges. NSFAS funding covers tuition and registration fees, as well as several allowances for food, accommodation, and learning materials.
Many students assume they will automatically receive funding for their second year of funding. However, this is contingent on several factors.
Is NSFAS Going To Automatically Fund My Second Year?
NSFAS explained that financial aid is only available for a student’s first term of funding. This means that students must comply with certain conditions set out by NSFAS to ensure they receive funding for subsequent years of study.
Financial aid is awarded for the first term of study only.
The government bursary scheme said funding is awarded to students based on their academic performance. The awarding of funding is also subject to the funds available by NSFAS and whether or not the students meet all the other NSFAS eligibility criteria.
Funding for subsequent years is at the discretion of NSFAS, subject to availability of funds and provided the student continues to meet the academic and financial criteria stipulated in this policy.
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.
