NSFAS payment schedule | NSFAS Payment Dates 2024. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was introduced in 1996 to encourage students from underprivileged backgrounds to afford higher education. This article takes you through all aspects of NSFAS payment schedule hoping to get you updated. The last time we checked, annual NSFAS applications were more than 750,000, that is the number of learners applying for funding every year.
NSFAS payment schedule | NSFAS Payment Dates 2024
The NSFAS is a bursary operating at a national level in South Africa, providing financial support for people entering tertiary education (colleges, universities, and vocational courses). The NSFAS is open for anyone who cannot afford such education through other means, such as regular student loans or bank funding.
NSFAS Payment Dates 2024
If you have been approved for NSFAS funding then first of all – congratulations! Secondly, you are likely to be wondering when you can expect to receive payments from NSFAS.
The NSFAS Payment Schedule for 2024 is likely to be the below (we will update this as soon as we have confirmation)
Payment dates for the NSFAS allowance by semester are given below in the table.
| Semester | Cycle | Payment Date |
| First | 1 | 06 February 2024 |
| First | 2 | 06 March 2024 |
| First | 3 | 03 April 2024 |
| First | 4 | 02 May 2024 |
| First | 5 | 05 June 2024 (Monday) |
| Second | 6 | 03 July 2024 (Medical School) |
| Second | 6 | 07 July 2024 (All Other Campuses) |
| Second | 7 | 01 August 2024 |
| Second | 8 | 04 September 2024 |
| Second | 9 | 02 October 2024 |
| Second | 10 | 06 November 2024 (Final payment for 2024 |
The Department states that “every month installments will be issued at the beginning of every month” for these NSFAS allowance payments, which are made monthly.
NSFAS Allowance | How much does NSFAS pay to students?
The bursaries not only cover registration and tuition fees, but also make provision for other annual allowances. In 2021, these allowances amount to:
- An Accommodation allowance depending on what is charged by the college or university (private accommodation costs cannot exceed costs of halls of residence or institution-provided hostels).
Universities
- The real expenses incurred by the university for private housing must not be greater than those for on-campus housing.
- Transportation from the educational institution up to 40 kilometers annually at R7 500
- Monthly living allowance of R15,000
- Annual book allowances of R5,200
- An annual personal care stipend of R2900 is provided to students living in catered houses.
TVET
- The annual cost of lodging in an urban environment is R24,000.
- The annual cost of lodging in a peri-urban location is R18,900.
- The annual cost of lodging in rural regions is R15,750.
- Transportation for a maximum of forty kilometers from the facility costs R7,350 a year.
- Transport R7,000 annually
- Annual personal care payment of R2,900.
Who qualifies to apply?
In order to apply for NSFAS online for 2024, you must be a South African citizen, have been accepted for an undergraduate qualification for the first time, and be able to prove an annual household income of no more than R350,000. It should be noted that meeting these criteria is not a guarantee of being accepted for the NSFAS.
How to apply for NSFAS payments?
You may be able to register yourself online at nsfas.org.za. Follow the guidelines to apply for payments of NSFA.
- Visit www.nsfas.org.za to submit an online application.
- From the menu bar, select “myNSFAS”.
- Apply by logging in with your ID number and password.
- Create a myNSFAS account
- You will find it easier to apply if you know your Student ID number.
- After choosing the APPLY tab, fill out all the required information.
- Upload the required documents.
- The last step is to press the “Submit” button to send your application for consideration.
Eligibility for NSFAS 2024
Applicants must fulfill the following requirements:
- Candidates must be a South African citizen.
- It is necessary to enroll in a public university or TVET college because NSFAS does not subsidize private universities.
- You must have received an SASSA award.
- To be eligible, candidates’ household income must not exceed R350 000 per year.
- To be eligible, a disabled person’s family income must not exceed R600,000.
- Applicants must have low-income households with an annual income of less than R122 000 and have started their studies before 2018.
Required documents to apply for NSFAS payment
The list of needed documents is listed below.
- An email address that works and your personal information
- You hold a legitimate ID.
- A copy of your birth certificate
- You must provide proof of both your earnings and the household’s income.
How to check the status of nsfas payments for 2024?
You will be able to check the status of your NSFAS allowance payment by following instructions.
- Visit the NSFAS website at www.nsfas.org.za.
- Locate the MyNSFAS page on the website, then sign in with your username and password.
- Enter the credentials for your myNSFAS account, or register if you don’t already have one.
- You may monitor the progress of your NSFAS 2024 application by choosing the Track Funding Progress or Check your Funding Status link