The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has opened application for funding for the 2024 academic year.
During a media briefing, higher education, science and innovation minister Blade Nzimande invited existing and prospective students to apply, announcing that Nsfas funding applications formally opened on Tuesday.
“The only way to access Nsfas is to apply. Now that we are open, we call upon prospective students, both those entering for the first time and returning ones. We also urge parents to engage in the process to ensure that as many eligible individuals as possible benefit,” he said.
The applications will close on 31 January 2024, providing students with a two-month window to apply. The minister additionally stated that, to enhance services, applicants will no longer be required to submit supporting documents, except for identity documents.
“This is a crucial improvement as Nsfas now collaborates with the South African Revenue Service (Sars) to verify parental and student eligibility. We also have access to data from the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa),” Nzimande said.
He emphasised that this marked a significant improvement, addressing the government’s challenge of applicants having to prove eligibility for jobs or services with supporting documents when the relevant information is already within government systems.
“We check applications against Sars to ensure the scheme is not robbed, people claiming to be looked after by grannies when parents are there and earning enough.
“Furthermore, this is done to afford the beneficiaries shorter turnaround times for decision making which is aligned to NSFAS financial eligibility assessment which requires updated Sars information.”
Nzimande said matric students should not wait until they receive their results before they apply.