How to secure your future in 2024 with NSFAS financial aid
Amidst the confusion, here’s how you can take advantage of the new R3.8-billion ‘missing middle’ NSFAS financial aid scheme.
While confusion still hangs in the air, there’s no better time to apply for National Student Financial Aid Scheme NSFAS financial aid. We say ‘confusion’ because Universities South Africa (USAF) is still unaware of how the new R3.8-billion funding scheme will work, but that shouldn’t stop you from applying.
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The truth is funding to support the ‘missing middle’ for students who come from households with between R300 000 and R650 000 annual income appears to have been rushed through amidst corruption and mismanagement allegations.
NSFAS FINANCIAL AID IN 2024
Nevertheless, opportunities present themselves in mysterious ways. And if you’re a school-leaver looking to better your future through tertiary education, there’s no reason you shouldn’t apply for it.
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Applications for NSFAS financial aid opened in November 2023. This seems like an eternity ago, after Minister Blade Nzimande was accused of misconduct and board chair Ernest Khosa took a leave of absence, which paved the way for a new acting chairperson.
DEADLINES AND CLOSE SHAVES
Even though USAF is concerned the scheme will be unable to handle the millions of applications in time, the official closing date for NSFAS financial aid is Wednesday 31 January 2024. Before the ‘missing middle’ fund, the NSFAS primarliy focused on low-income households, disbursing R123 billion to 3 million beneficiaries. The latest fund is therefore more inclusive.
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To apply you must do the following:
- Create an NSFAS Account HERE.
- Register and Accept the Terms and Conditions to verify your information.
- Supply a verifiable ID number.
- Name and surname.
- Email address and cellphone number (note you email address doubles as your username).
- Unique password.
- Upload a copy of your ID.
- Click Register.
- You will be sent an OTP via SMS/email.
- Type in the OTP and click Submit.
- You will receive a confirmation email that your NSFAS account is active.
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COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION
Only now does your NSFAS financial aid application begin:
- Visit myNSFAS.
- Click on Register.
- Go to Apply tab.
- Follow all the prompts.
- Upload all the necessary supporting documents.
- Accept the Terms and Conditions.
- Click Submit.
- You will receive an application reference number via email/SMS.
- Track your application via WhatsApp on 078 519 8006.