While institutions are gearing up to welcome dozens of students to their campuses, both new and returning, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is currently preparing for the deployment of resources to institutions across all provinces.
NSFAS said the resources would include servicing administrators, student accommodation officials, as well as graduate interns.
“This is to ensure a smooth start of the 2025 academic year for our beneficiaries. NSFAS Circular 13 of 2024 sent to institutions on 07 January 2025, advised that as part of our student support plans, we will deploy officials to all institutions for a period of two months, from 13 January 2025 until 07 March 2025,” NSFAS said in a statement.
The scheme said it had concluded a graduate recruitment process and appointed graduate interns.
The interns will be deployed alongside the servicing administrators across different institutions to work with financial aid officials on bursary administration daily.
“The deployment and placement of these resources to institutions is aimed at ensuring that for the 2025 academic year, each institution has a resource tasked with assisting students with queries which need NSFAS’ attention. The recruited graduates are currently undergoing formal training,” the scheme said.
Applicants called to submit supporting documents
Meanwhile, NSFAS has called on students who applied for funding to submit supporting documents after receiving communication from the scheme.
“Applicants have 30 days to submit from the day of receiving communication. Applicants must not wait for the deadline, but should submit now,” NSFAS said.
To submit the requested documents, applicants must log into their myNSFAS portal and upload the documents.
“To track their application status, applicants can add NSFAS on WhatsApp 078 519 8006 or use USSD *120*67327# or via email info@nsfas.org.za,” NSFAS said.
The scheme reiterated that qualifying students must not pay any registration fee to the institutions of higher learning, until the process is complete, but “wait for communication from NSFAS on the final decision”.
NSFAS warned applicants against fraudsters who pretend to be NSFAS officials and urged them to report any suspicious messages or calls to the NSFAS ethics and fraud hotline on 0800 007 396.
For more information on NSFAS, applicants can visit https://my.nsfas.org.za/. – SAnews.gov.za
