Students who do not have access to funding and who intend to study at a public university or TVET college in 2020, has just over a week before the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) application cycle on closes on 30 November 2019.
As part of the intensified application drive, NSFAS has rolled out a regional “town to town” outreach intervention programme – to reach out to prospective beneficiaries and students who have not yet applied.
NSFAS says it aims to use these town visits to leverage equal opportunities for access to higher education and training in mainly disadvantaged communities.
Over the next few days, NSFAS officers will continue to be deployed across all nine provinces (see schedule below) with a particular focus on the Eastern Cape, Free State, North West, Northern Cape, and Western Cape – due to the low number of applications received in these provinces.
The scheme has to date received 365 922 applications nationwide, with KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and Limpopo provinces continuing to lead with the highest number of applications.
NSFAS Administrator, Dr Randall Carolissen, said that although the number of applicants living with disability increased significantly over the prior year to over a 1000, it remains disappointingly low.
Carolissen said that NSFAS has prioritised engagements with relevant government departments and agencies to improve applications in this regard.
Applicants who do not have access to computer facilities and smart phones, are urged to visit their nearest National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) offices, local libraries, Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Thusong Centres, and Department of Basic Education (DBE) District Teacher Development Centres national wide, to apply for funding.
Outreach events for 2020 applications
Eastern Cape
| 20 November | Port Elizabeth – Thembelihle High School |
| 20 November | Uitenhage – Gamble Street Secondary School |
| 21 November | Lady Frere – Nzimankulu High School |
| 22 November | Lusikisiki – Ingwe TVET College, Ngqungqushe Campus |
| 25 November | Mthata TBC |
| 30 November | East London TBC |
Free State
| 23 November | Thabo Mofutsanyana District, Qwaqwa |
| 23 November | Fezile Dabi District |
| 24 – 30 November | Lejweleputswa District, Welkom |
Gauteng
| 26 November | Randfontein TBC |
| 28 November | Reiger, Boksburg |
KwaZulu-Natal
| 23 November | Ugu District |
Limpopo
| 23 November | Opposite Rooiberg Community Hall, Thabazimbi |
| 29 November | Masesha Primary School – in Bloodriver |
Mpumalanga
| 30 November | Ehlanzeni TBC |
Northern Cape
| 27 November | Namaqualand – SA van Wyk High School, Aggeney High School & Regefeld High School |
| 29 November | Kuruman – Kuruman Primary School |
| 30 November | Kimberley – Mayibuye Centre |
North West
| 20 November | Taung |
| 21 November | Mathe – Walter Letsie High School |
| 21 November | Vryburg – Vryburg High School |
| 23 November | Taung – Mokgareng High School |
Western Cape
| 23 November | Dal Josaphat Athletics Stadium, Groenheuwel, Paarl |
| 29 November | Beaufort West TBC |
| 30 November | Lwazi Enrichment Program, Hartzenberg Street, Parkersdam, Worcester |
| 30 November | George TBC |
| 30 November | Delft TBC |
