Time is running out for prospective students to apply for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for the 2025 academic year.
Applications, which opened on 20 September 2024, will officially close at midnight on 15 December 2024.
Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane, has issued a final call to all eligible students, urging them to submit their applications before the deadline to avoid disappointment.
Earlier, the Minister has said that the department making sure that the NSFAS is ready for the 2025 academic year.
“Our priority is to increase access to all parts of the country, with... NSFAS presence on all campuses at the beginning of the academic year. We have started the process of regionalisation to ensure that we expand access to everyone, and no one must be left behind,” Nkabane said.
In partnership with NSFAS, Nkabane led an outreach programme at Nkangala Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College, Middleburg Campus, where she encouraged students to apply for funding.
Since its inception, NSFAS has supported more than five million beneficiaries, producing hundreds of thousands of skilled professionals, especially from within the poor and working-class sections of society.
This year alone, the scheme is supporting about 1.2 million students, with the number anticipated to grow in 2025.
How to apply for funding
Prospective applicants can apply by visiting https://www.nsfas.org.za/
• Create a myNSFAS profile.
• Log in to the profile.
• Complete the application steps.
• Submit the application online.
Who qualifies for NSFAS funding?
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible:
• Be a South African citizen or permanent resident.
• Have a combined gross household income of no more than R350,000 per year.
• Applicants with disabilities qualify if their combined household income does not exceed R600,000 annually.
• South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant recipients automatically qualify and are not required to submit proof of income.
. – SAnews.gov.za
