NSFAS Bursary (National Student Financial Aid Scheme)
NSFAS
NSFAS Bursary (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) is bursary offered by NSFAS to South African students studying towards qualifications in all fields. The funder has not published a fixed closing date for this cycle, so check the official page regularly.
NSFAS is the government bursary that covers the full cost of study at public universities and TVET colleges for students from households earning up to R350 000 a year, or up to R600 000 a year for students with disabilities.
The sections below set out who qualifies, what the award covers, which documents you need to prepare and where to submit your application. Every detail is taken from the funder's own published information, and the apply link sends you straight to their official page rather than to a third-party form.
Editor's strategy corner
Funders read hundreds of similar applications. One specific, honest paragraph about why this field matters to you is worth more than a page of general statements.
Funding
Full cost of study, including registration, tuition, learning material, living, personal care, transport or accommodation allowances
Closing date
Check the official page for the closing date
Provinces
All provinces
Study levels
Certificate, Diploma, Undergraduate
Citizenship
South African citizens and permanent residents
Institutions
Any accredited SA institution
Verified by our editorial team· last checked 3 Oct 2026
Our assessment of this opportunity
Fewer corporate funders support all fields, so this is a narrower but often less crowded opportunity. Use your motivation to show why this field matters to the communities or sector NSFAS works in, not only why you need money.
Most company bursaries in South Africa come with a work-back obligation, typically one year of employment for each year funded. Before you accept, confirm the length of the obligation, where you may be placed and what happens if you fail a module, because repaying a bursary in full is a real risk for students who change course.
Full funding is the main strength here: it closes the gap that often forces "missing middle" students to drop out. Still, check whether accommodation, books and a laptop are included, as "full" can mean tuition only.
NSFAS does not publish a fixed closing date, which often means applications open for a short window. Bookmark the official page and check it monthly so you do not miss the intake.
Written by the SA Bursary Hub Editorial Team based on the funder's published criteria and our experience reviewing South African funding programmes.
About this bursary
NSFAS is the largest source of student funding in South Africa and the one most students start with. It is run by the Department of Higher Education and Training and pays for study at the 26 public universities and the public TVET colleges, not at private institutions. The bursary is means tested. If your household earns R350 000 or less a year you are assessed for the bursary. If the household income falls between R350 001 and R600 000 you are assessed for the NSFAS student loan instead, which covers fewer items. Students with disabilities are assessed against a R600 000 household income cap. Households that receive a SASSA grant qualify automatically on the financial side. Applications are submitted only through the myNSFAS portal, free of charge. There is no application fee and no agent needs to apply on your behalf.
Eligibility
You may be funded if you are a South African citizen or permanent resident, your combined household income is R350 000 or less a year (R600 000 or less if you live with a disability), and you are registering at a public university or public TVET college for a DHET approved, SAQA accredited qualification. SASSA grant recipients meet the financial requirement automatically. NSFAS states that you cannot be funded if you already receive 100 percent funding from another source, if you already hold an undergraduate qualification and want a second one, if you already hold a certificate qualification and want a second certificate, if you study at a private institution, or if the qualification is not DHET approved or SAQA accredited.
Requirements
Certified ID, proof of household income, latest academic results, proof of acceptance at an institution.
Required documents
A copy of your South African ID or birth certificate, and ID copies for your parents, guardian or spouse. Proof of household income such as payslips or a letter of employment, or the SASSA grant details if applicable. A signed consent form so NSFAS can verify your household information. Students with disabilities upload the NSFAS disability annexure completed by a medical practitioner. Vulnerable child declarations apply if you were in the care of a legal guardian.
Benefits
The bursary covers registration, tuition fees and learning material, and pays a living allowance, personal care allowance and either a transport or an accommodation allowance depending on where you stay. The student loan option covers accommodation, transport and learning material only, without the living and personal care allowances.
How to apply
1. Go to my.nsfas.org.za and create a myNSFAS account using your ID number, cellphone number and email address. 2. Complete every section of the application, including your household and parent or guardian details. 3. Upload the supporting documents the portal asks for and submit. 4. Log in to myNSFAS and use Track Funding Progress to follow your status. Statuses run from Application Submitted to Documents Missing, Under Review, Approved or Rejected. 5. If you are rejected, read the reason on the portal and lodge an appeal through the same account within the appeal window.
Fields of study
Qualification levels
Contact
info@nsfas.org.zaOfficial source and what we could not confirm
Everything above comes from NSFAS's own published material. SA Bursary Hub is an independent information site: we do not award this funding and applications are submitted only through the official channel below.
- Official application page: https://my.nsfas.org.za/
- Organisation website: https://www.nsfas.org.za
Not published by the funder at the time of checking, so we have not shown it: a confirmed closing date. We do not estimate missing details, ask the funder directly if you need them.
Requirements and dates can change during the year, so confirm the full criteria and closing date on the official page before you submit.
Read more: NSFAS funding explained: what it covers and how to apply
SA Bursary Hub editorial team
This listing was written by a person and checked against the funder's own published material before it went live. Last reviewed 3 Oct 2026. How we verify information.
Plan your application
Use this checklist with the verified details above. The official NSFAS application page remains the final source for criteria, documents and dates.
Check your fit first
- Your registered or intended course appears within the listed fields: all fields. Confirm the exact course name on the official page.
- Your study level matches one of the listed levels: Certificate, Diploma, Undergraduate.
- You meet the listed location requirement: all provinces.
Prepare the requested evidence
Use the required-documents section above as your checklist. Open every uploaded file to confirm it is readable and follows the portal's format and size rules.
Work backwards from the deadline
No closing date is shown here. Check the official page before starting and do not assume the opportunity is open throughout the year.
Confirm before you submit
- The web address belongs to NSFAS or its named application provider.
- The bursary title, closing date and intake year match this listing.
- You understand what is funded and any conditions attached to an award.
- You never pay a person who promises to secure or prioritise an application.