Student Financial Aid Scheme: Status of applications for 2026 academic year

Good morning, 
Programme Director, Mr Ishmael Mnisi
Board Members,
NSFAS Executives and staff, 
Members of the media, and all stakeholders present here today,
Fellow South Africans

Introduction

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) continues to play a pivotal role in expanding access to post school education and training for the South African youth. 

Established as a government entity, NSFAS is mandated to provide financial support to eligible students at public universities and TVET colleges, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent talented and deserving individuals from pursuing their academic ambitions.

NSFAS is dedicated to advancing the nation’s development by investing in human development. Through our bursary and loan programmes, we extend financial assistance to students from poor and working-class families, as well as those in the “missing middle” who may not qualify for full bursary support. 

The Scheme’s robust assessment and funding processes are designed to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and transparently, in accordance with government policy and the needs of the post-school education sector. In this context, we welcome and commend the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for its successful recovery of over R1.7 billion from institutions and students. The NSFAS Board on its appointment had committed to working with all Chapter Nine Institutions and Law Enforcement Bodies in cleaning up the entity and strengthening governance and financial controls.

2026 Application Cycle: Updates and Progress

We are pleased to provide the following updates on the processing of applications for the 2026 academic year, encompassing first-time entering students, returning university students, and continuing TVET college students.

NSFAS as a developmental fund and in understanding South Africa’s social constructs does allow for students who have outstanding documents to resubmit. We are pleased that since our last briefing more than 180 000 outstanding documents have been submitted. Our teams have worked around the clock to address these outstanding documents which has resulted in an additional 50 000 approvals prior to the closing of the registration cycle. 

Regrettably students do continue to still upload incorrect or unclear documents which creates a feedback loop between outstanding documents and NSFAS ability to consider these applications. NSFAS encourages students to send clear, correct copies of documents requested. 

The Consent Form

• Is used to obtain permission from an applicant’s parent(s) or guardian(s) to go to third party data sources to verify income.
• Is used to obtain income data, has specific requirements on which information is compulsory for NSFAS to obtain from the parent(s) or guardian(s) for them to deem the form valid.
• In some instances, the consent form would NOT be completed or it would be completed for one parent and not both, while both were picked up from Home Affairs and therefore household income has to be checked on both or the form would be completed by someone else, who is not the individual picked at Home Affairs, for who NSFAS has to verify income against and this also then leads to the requirement of a Declaration Form if the individual the applicant is including is not the parent at Home Affairs (relationship must be explained).
• The typical mandatory fields which we require obtaining the information from students for:
  • The form being signed by the parent and not the student.
  • The form being dated – some submit with no date.
  • An email address of the parent being included and if the parent does not have one, that space must be completed with “N/A”
  • So all fields must be completed.

Declaration Form

• The requirement for this form arises because the student would have put a different individual on their application, then the one we are picking up at Home Affairs.
• Generally this form is required while processing the application and seeing the results from Home Affairs.
• This form also has to be completed correctly and in full to explain the relationship of the individual the applicant is putting on this form, to them.  

The individual on the Declaration Form, would be the one the consent form must be completed and signed by.

Funding Status:

Continuing University Students

Outstanding results may be due to supplementary examinations. Institutions are encouraged to upload these results so students may have clarity on their funding statuses. 

Continuing TVET College Students

Continuing TVET student results were received from the 15th January 2026 and are processed within seven days of receipt, the outcome of which has been received. 

NSFAS Loan Update for the 2026 Application Cycle

NSFAS Appeals Update: 2026 Application Cycle

The NSFAS Appeals process provides applicants and current beneficiaries with the opportunity to request a review of their application outcome should they feel that their circumstances have not been fully considered, or if additional information has become available that may affect their eligibility.

2026 Appeals Cycle Update

NSFAS remains committed to processing all appeals fairly, transparently, and efficiently. We encourage all applicants to ensure that their contact information and supporting documentation are up to date, and to monitor communication from NSFAS regarding the status of their appeal. All students are reminded that they have a maximum of 30 days once an outcome is communicated to finalise an appeal. 

Student Accommodation

NSFAS recognises that access to quality accommodation is not only vital for students’ physical comfort but also fundamental to creating an environment that supports academic success, personal growth, and overall well-being.

To continually enhance the student accommodation process, NSFAS actively engages with students, institutions, and key stakeholders, including the Department of Higher Education and Training,  South African Union of Students (SAUS) and the South African TVET Student Association (SATVETSA). These ongoing consultations ensure that accommodation criteria remain relevant and that challenges experienced by students are addressed collaboratively.

In response to requests from institutions for additional guidance on accommodation processes and requirements, NSFAS has developed a comprehensive guidance circular to clarify and support these processes. 

For the upcoming academic year, higher education institutions participating in the student accommodation project will continue to have their accommodation payments managed directly by NSFAS, while institutions that have historically managed accommodation payments independently will maintain their current arrangements during this transitional period. 

NSFAS continues to work closely with both institutions and landlords to ensure the timely processing and approval of student accommodation applications, prioritising the needs and well-being of all applicants.

In light of recent concerns pertaining to student accommodation at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and other institutions where such challenges might arise, NSFAS wishes to clarify that CPUT manages accommodation independently of NSFAS. NSFAS has engaged with the University to understand its challenges, including the wellbeing of NSFAS beneficiaries and will support the institution in remedying the situation. 

NSFAS has designed a robust academic framework which includes all accommodation dates—including opening, closing, move-in, and move-out periods—will be closely aligned with the academic calendar. This alignment ensures that students are not left stranded at any point during the academic year and supports a seamless transition into residence for all eligible students. NSFAS acknowledges the proactive steps taken by institutions to provide temporary accommodation for students during this period.

NSFAS wishes to caution accommodation providers against the following practices:

• Housing of students without confirming their NSFAS funding status and then logging claims against NSFAS.
• Relocation of students (at times forcefully) without following due process.

NSFAS will take a zero tolerance approach on these matters. NSFAS further encourages any students who may be facing issues with accommodation to report these to NSFAS via our official channels.

2026 rates

One of the key areas addressed is the determination of allowance and accommodation rates for 2026, which are currently under review. Adjustments to allowances and rates are informed by factors such as consumer price inflation, student academic progression, enrolment figures for first-time entering students, and budget allocations through the budget process. NSFAS will recommend the 2026 rates once the relevant budgetary information has been finalized which is aligned to the National Budget process.

Upfront payments and disbursements.

As committed by NSFAS at the start of February 2026, R3.6 billion was successfully disbursed to Universities for allowance payments whilst R679 million was disbursed to TVET colleges for tuition payments. This was in line with NSFAS commitment to ensure students who qualify for funding have allowances early in the year to support the start of the academic journey. 

In consultation with the Department of Higher Education and Training, TVET branch and SAVETSA, due to extensions of registrations at TVET colleges, the first disbursement date of allowances to TVET college students is now the 13th February 2026 with a second disbursement added for 27th February 2026. 

Status of the NSFAS timetable

Conclusion

NSFAS remains steadfast in its commitment to expanding access to higher education and technical training for all eligible South African students. Through rigorous application processing, ongoing collaboration with institutions, and transparent communication, NSFAS is working to ensure that funding reaches those who need it most—efficiently and fairly.

Students and stakeholders are encouraged to stay informed via official NSFAS channels and to submit any outstanding information as soon as possible. NSFAS thanks all partners for their cooperation and support throughout the 2026 application cycle and looks forward to another successful year of empowering South Africa’s future leaders.

#ServiveDeliveryZA