The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a

South African government The Government of South Africa, or South African Government, is the national government of the Republic of South Africa, a parliamentary republic with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a parliamentary ...

student financial aid Student financial aid (or student financial support, or student aid) is financial support given to individuals who are furthering their education. Student financial aid can come in a number of forms, including scholarships, Grant (money), grants, ...

scheme which provides financial aid to

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

students to help pay for the cost of their

tertiary education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

after finishing

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

. It is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training. The programme also manages bursaries such as the Funza Lushaka Teacher Bursary (for students pursuing a teaching qualification). Eligibility for th
Funza Lushaka Teaching Bursary
is fairly broad, yet specific enough to ensure that candidates with a genuine passion for teaching and education are selected. Applicants must be South African citizens with a good academic record and a commitment to a career in teaching, especially in subjects where there's a high demand for educators. , DHET Disability Bursary and other bursaries from the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).

History

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme was established in 1996, replacing the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa (TEFSA) in 1999. The TEFSA program was a

non-profit company A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

which managed and administered NSFAS since its establishment until 2000. In 1999, TEFSA was converted into a

statutory body A statutory body or statutory authority is a body set up by law (statute) that is authorised to implement certain legislation on behalf of the relevant country or state, sometimes by being Primary and secondary legislation, empowered or deleg ...

called NSFAS. The scheme is supported by over R30 billion () in funding from the

Department of Higher Education and Training The Department of Higher Education and Training is one of the departments of the South African government. It oversees universities and other post-secondary education in South Africa. It was created in 2009 after the election of President Jacob ...

, and local and international donations. The bursaries cover the tuition fees, accommodation, and food and travel allowances for "full time" students, and only tuition fees for "part time" students. In 2019, , NSFAS had received 365,922 applications for financial aid in 2020, compared to the 278,738 applications it had received the year prior. In 2019,

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology The minister of higher education is the minister in the Cabinet of South Africa with responsibility for higher education in South Africa. The post was created as the minister of higher education and training in May 2009. It was called the minis ...

Blade Nzimande Bonginkosi Emmanuel "Blade" Nzimande (born 14 April 1958 in Edendale near Pietermaritzburg) is a South African politician, sociologist, and former anti-apartheid activist who is currently serving as Minister of Science, Technology and Innov ...

stated that the government had allocated nearly R80 billion for NSFAS over the next three years.

Financial aid

Qualifiers

South Africa citizens registering for the first time at a public South African higher education institution who meet the

means test A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for government benefits, assistance or welfare, based upon whether the individual or family possesses the means to do with less or none of that help. Means testing is ...

may receive a bursary. The means test requires that the applicant's combined

household income Household income is a measure of income received by the household sector. It includes every form of cash income, e.g., salaries and wages, retirement income, investment income and cash transfers from the government. It may include near-cash gover ...

( gross) does not exceed R350,000 per annum. The bursary also covers a few

post-graduate Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

student qualifications (such as a postgraduate certificate in education). Those who do not qualify for NSFAS (due to not meeting the means test), can still apply fo
bursaries and scholarships
if they need funding for their tertiary studies.

Loan repayment (pre-2018)

Prior to the announcement by former President

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan names Nxamalala and Msholozi. Zuma was a for ...

of free higher education for poor students in 2017, NSFAS bursaries were "loans" which needed to be paid back. The loan repayment began once the student had found employment and was earning R80,000 or more annually. If the student was unemployed, they did not have to make repayments until they were employed. If the student left university or college, a case where they did not complete their qualification, the loan would still have to be repaid. , all accrued "loans" from NSFAS prior to 2018 must still be paid back.

Free subsidised higher education (post-2018)

On 16 December 2017, former President Jacob Zuma announced that "fully subsidised free higher education and training for poor and working class South African students" would be phased in by the South African government over a period of five years. In March 2021, the NSFAS announced that its funding was insufficient to fund first-year students. In the same month, the NSFAS's executive board faced criticism for incurring billions of rands in irregular expenditures for the last three years, including R522 million in the past year.

Application process

Applications for a NSFAS bursary can be made both online and in-person. Applications are typically open between September and November in the year preceding the first year of higher education. Online applications can be made on the NSFAS website. Applications can also be made at the Financial Aid Office (FAO) or Student Service Centre at the higher education institution the student applied at, as well as at National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) offices.

References

External links

Bursaries and Scholarships - funding for tertiary studiesThe Official NSFAS SiteDepartment of Education (SA)
- Funding Your Studies {{authority control Higher education in South Africa 1996 establishments in South Africa Student loan systems Higher Education and Training Education in South Africa South Africa, Higher