By Alicia Mmashakana
The deadline for funding applications for next year from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) closes at midnight on Sunday.
Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has urged students to apply before the deadline.
She said in a statement that since the 2025 NSFAS funding applications opened on 20 September 2024, the scheme has received 738,117 applications from students needing financial aid.
Of these, 543,357 applicants have been provisionally approved for funding,150,655 applications are pending evaluation and 23,112 students have withdrawn their applications.
A total of 20,993 applications have been deemed unsuccessful.
Applicants must be South African citizens who plan to study in 2025, or who are already enrolled in a public university or TVET college and meet the following requirements:
• SA Social Security Agency grant recipients.
• Applicants whose combined gross household income is not more than R350,000 per year.
• Persons with disabilities whose combined gross household income is not more than R600,000 per year.
• Must have an email account and cell phone number.
“Applicants should remember that timely submission is key to securing financial assistance from NSFAS. Therefore, applicants are urged to mark their calendars and ensure that they complete all required steps before the closing date,” the department said.
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