Blade Nziamnde

Given the striking inequality in accessing tertiary education in South Africa, financial assistance from both government and private sector plays a huge role in funding poor students who otherwise would not have afforded tertiary education fees. A new proposal by NSFAS now threatens to affect the overwhelming majority of poor students from working class families. 

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is generally known as one of the biggest funders in public institutions of higher learning. Its mandate is focused on candidates from poor background and working-class families who can’t afford to pay for tertiary education, but there are new developments. 

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is yet to make announcement as to when the application dates for 2022 funding will be opened. This is unlike any other year where the application window would open early to give applicants time to prepare and apply. 

If you would like to find out whether NSFAS funds the University of Mpumalanga Courses, keep reading for more details.   

NSFAS students might have heard of Intellimali and might want to know even more. Here's some answers to the simple question of, 'what is intellimali'.

Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, announced that NSFAS will not be taking late applications from students wanting to be funded for the 2021 academic year.

The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation engaged with USAf to discuss the current funding shortfall, student funding and debt challenges in the higher education and broader post-school education and training sector.

Unisa's decision to accept fewer first-entering students in 2021 has not been received well. Now, the University's Student Representative Council along with the EFF Student Command are wanting to take both the University and the Minister in charge of higher education, to court.

Students have made #BladeMustFall trend on social media as they beg the Higher Education Minister to do more in supporting students. Calls have also come for NSFAS to be more efficient.

The pandemic has affected education in so many ways and forced changed within the sector. Now, another effect which is being observed is that higher educations saw an increase in applications for 2021.

If you've applied to receive funding from NSFAS and you're wondering when they will communicate your application results, then keep reading. 

The South African Students Congress wants students to be provided with further support following the Minister's announcement that 2021 NSFAS applications will not be reopening. 

Minister Blade Nzimande has announced how much will be paid out in allowances to NSFAS funded students this year - and also answered the question on whether applications for NSFAS funding would be opened again. 

This year over 375 000 students in universities benefited from the NSFAS scheme and of those over 217 000 are on the new fully subsidised funding and won't have to pay back their bursaries.