Are you a returning student seeking for financial aid for your tertiary studies? If so, NSFAS is the best financial aid program to support your academic endeavors. The qualifications for returning students are listed below.
A government grant called the National Student Financial Aid Plan (NSFAS) assists low-income students in attending South African public universities or TVET colleges.
Students who previously weren’t eligible for financial aid through the bursary program are also qualified for NSFAS assistance in 2023.
What criteria must returning students meet under NSFAS?
Each applicant must fulfill specific funding conditions in order to be eligible for the NSFAS bursary for the academic year 2023. Thus, the following are the 2023 academic requirements for NSFAS returning students:
- The candidate must be a South African national.
- must be a recipient of an SASSA award
- must earn no more than R350 000 annually as a household.
- disability must have an annual household income of no more than R600,000.
If you are a returning student from 2023 and you meet the pre-2023 academic and financial conditions, you will be granted a chance. Students who begin their studies prior to 2023 must have a household income of less than R122 000 per year.
NSFAS supports student registration, tuition, and various financial aid programs. These stipends include living expenses, travel, and textbooks.
Universities receive different funding than TVET colleges. The differences are as follows:
- University financial aid
- According to the actual fees the institution is charging for housing (costs for private accommodation must not exceed costs for university residence)
- R7 500 per year for transportation (up to 40 kilometers from the institution).
- Living stipend: R15,000 annually
- Annual book allowance: R5200
- R2900 is the annual incidental/personal care payment for students living in catered housing.
As long as they have not received money from any other sources, students in their second year of study or those who have previously studied without NSFAS funding are eligible to apply. Students who have already earned a degree or certificate are not eligible to apply.
Do re-entering students submit an NSFAS application in 2023?
Yes, if you applied for NSFAS in 2022 or preceding years and your application was not granted but you still need funds for 2023, you have to apply again if you meet the financial conditions for the 2023 academic year.
How Does NSFAS Verify the Status of Returned Students?
Returning students can log in to the myNSFAS student portal at https://my.nsfas.org.za, select “Track Funding Progress,” and monitor the status of their NSFAS application for the class of 2023.
Students in their second year must apply for NSFAS 2023.
Yes, you must reapply to receive NSFAS funds in 2023 if you were approved for funding under NSFAS in 2022 but did not register.