Reader Question: Will NSFAS Fund Me If I Fail And Change Institution?
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a government student bursary scheme which receives its funding budget from, and reports to the Department of Higher Education and Training. NSFAS will cover more than just your tuition fees, should you qualify.
NSFAS offers bursaries to South African students who plan to study at public universities and TVET colleges. They cover funding for registration, tuition and allowances.
NSFAS funds students depending on the duration of their course or degree, so will NSFAS fund you if you fail?
The answer is yes they will continue funding you.
According to the NSFAS policy agreement students must pass at least 50% of their modules as well as meet the academic requirements of their institution in order to continue receiving financial aid during the course of their study period.
However, this question also 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 your qualification goes for and the number (+1) refers to the number of years NSFAS will continue funding you for if you fail.
Related: NSFAS Applications 2024
After 2018, students are granted one year extra of funding should they fail a year in their course.
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.
Visit the NSFAS website for more information on this bursary.
