To qualify for NSFAS funding in 2025, students must meet both financial and academic eligibility criteria[2].
- Citizenship Requirement: Applicants must be South African citizens or hold permanent residency[7].
- Income Threshold: The combined annual household income must not exceed R350,000 for general applicants, and R600,000 if the applicant has a disability[3][6][7][8].
- SASSA Recipients: All South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant beneficiaries automatically meet financial eligibility if academically eligible[6][8].
- Academic Requirement: Applicants must have passed Grade 12 or equivalent at a secondary institution and be accepted, or plan to enroll, at a public university or TVET college[3][6][7].
- Prior NSFAS Funding: Applicants must not already hold an NSFAS-funded qualification for the level of study for which they are applying[7][8].
- Documentation and Validation: Accurate and complete consent forms must be submitted for income assessment, and NSFAS uses third-party data to validate household income declarations[6].
- Independence: Unmarried applicants who are financially independent do not need to provide an NSFAS declaration form[6].
- Grant Types: Only beneficiaries of Foster Care, Care Dependency, and Child Support grants may qualify for NSFAS funding[6].
- Non-Eligibility: Students who have completed a previous qualification at the same level, or whose combined household income exceeds the threshold, may not apply. Students who are already funded and fulfill progression criteria continue to be funded[8].
References
- [2] NSFAS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND CONDITIONS FOR FINANCIAL AID
- [3] 2025 NSFAS Applications: How to apply – FundiConnect
- [6] NSFAS Releases Eligibility Criteria For 2025
- [7] NSFAS Funding Criteria for 2025
- [8] NSFAS Requirements 2025-2026
Leave a Reply