Will NSFAS Continue Funding Me If I Take A Gap Year?

We are here to answer all your NSFAS questions. If you find yourself wondering whether NSFAS will still fund you even if you took a year or two off and they funded you before, we have an answer for you. Don't forget that NSFAS applications are now open.

During a webinar with Careers Portal Live, NSFAS answered this question and said that gap year students, whether that be before you start your qualification or during, will still be funded by NSFAS if they were approved before and qualify.

The only thing students who fall under this category will have to do is re-apply for funding. 

This question deals with the N+ rule NSFAS has in place. Before NSFAS was changed from a loan scheme to a bursary, the rule was 'N+2' and after the change which came into action in 2018, it was changed to the 'N+1' rule.

The N stands for the number of years our qualification goes for and the number (+1) refers to the number of years NSFAS will continue funding you for if you fail. After 2018, students are granted one year extra of funding should they fail a year in their course. 

NSFAS has said that this is how they "give grace in case something happens".

It is important to further note that, the N+ rule is not based on the number of years that a student has been funded, but on the number of years that the student has been registered for tertiary study at any public university in South Africa, regardless of institution change.

Funding will then only be provided to the students once NSFAS receives their registration data from the institution. If they don't receive registration data, funding will be forfeited. 

NSFAS applications for 2021 are now open and closes on 30 November.

NSFAS offers funding to University students as well as TVET College students in the form of a bursary. Getting funded by NSFAS does not only cover your tuition fees but will have you receive funding for other needs you have as a student. 

For more information on NSFAS, click here.