By Levy Masiteng
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has paid R222.7 million to six universities to help clear outstanding Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme payments for 2 927 student teachers, following intervention by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim.
The payment was confirmed to Cassim during a meeting with senior NSFAS officials and the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme team at the NSFAS offices in Cape Town on Thursday.
The latest batch of payments was made to the Central University of Technology, North West University, University of Fort Hare, University of Limpopo, University of Pretoria and the University of South Africa.
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The institutions are now expected to process the funds and pay the respective allowances directly to beneficiaries.
“These payments must now reach students without delay so they can focus on their studies and not have to worry about outstanding allowances that have been pending for months,” Cassim said.
He welcomed the work being done by NSFAS and the Funza Lushaka team to accelerate the payment process, but also instructed NSFAS to obtain confirmation from the universities on when beneficiaries would receive their money.
During the meeting, NSFAS told Cassim that a significant number of institutional claims for Funza Lushaka funding were still outstanding.
For August, claims amounting to R295.99 million for 3 095 students had been uploaded for processing for the September payment cycle.
According to the department, the scheme’s payment process takes approximately four weeks, as claims must undergo verification checks before funds can be released.
“Institutions are urged to submit their claims promptly to prevent further delays for students.”
According to NSFAS, these payments will be processed in September through the normal payment process.
More than R500 million in Funza Lushaka funds remains unclaimed, with institutions required to submit outstanding claims by 13 September if they want the money to be paid in October.
Cassim directed NSFAS to write to institutions with outstanding claims to establish whether they would submit their claims by the 13 September deadline and to confirm that all Funza Lushaka beneficiaries would receive their allowances without interruption.
He also called for institutions that have failed to submit claims to be specifically identified and followed up by the University Education Branch and NSFAS.
For the current academic year, 23 universities have been allocated R1.3 billion under the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme.
The multi-year programme, funded by the Department of Basic Education, supports students pursuing teaching qualifications at participating universities, with NSFAS acting as the disbursement agency responsible for transferring the funds to institutions.
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The allocation is intended to cover tuition, accommodation, meals, learning materials and living allowances for eligible beneficiaries.
With outstanding claims continuing to contribute to delays, NSFAS has proposed a joint workshop with relevant stakeholders in November 2026, ahead of the next academic year.
“The workshop will aim to eliminate manual processes by introducing automation, establishing effective communication channels with students, and improving alignment and payment timelines,” the department said.
