More than 1.6 millions applications were submitted by students hoping to be funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme in 2023 academic. Now, many of these applicants are awaiting feedback from the bursary scheme.
To make sure that the 2023 academic year is delay free, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) has provisionally approved and funded at least 613 000 applications out of 1.6 million funding applications for 2023.
In breaking down the applicants who have been provisionally accepted, Nsfas board chairperson, Ernest Khosa has confirmed that 338,320 are continuing-students and 275,589 are new applicants.
According to Higher Education deputy Minister Buti Manamela South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries who will be entering universities and Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges for the first time, have been instantly funded by Nsfas.
Whilst Non-Sassa students must provide documentation to prove their household income. In a statement, the Scheme has announced:
The funding list for Non-Sassa applicants and returning students will be released by institutions by 6 February 2023.
The funding list contains names of students who qualify for the Nsfas funding as per the Scheme’s qualifying funding criteria and they won’t be required to pay a registration fee for the 2023 academic year.
Nsfas-funded students whose name appears on the funded list, will now be able to proceed with registration for an approved qualification.
According to Nsfas, a total of 161,139 applications have been rejected due to not meeting funding criteria, and as of 3 February 2023, they are permitted to lodge an appeal.
To confirm funding, applications by Non-Sassa applicants and returning students require financial and/or academic eligibility verification with the help of third parties.
The Scheme confirms the applicants’ identity and parental information through the Department of Home Affairs and South African Revenue Services plays a vital role by confirming household income, just to mention a few.
Since Nsfas has improved its systems to enable it to make real time funding decisions, the Scheme has confirmed that it is able to make real-time funding decisions.
