How Much Does NSFAS Pay For First Year Students 2025

How Much Does NSFAS Pay For First Year Students 2025: Types Of NSFAS Funding

How Much Does NSFAS Pay For First Year Students 2025

How Much Does NSFAS Pay For First Year Students 2025: Types Of NSFAS Funding

It’s important to understand the financial aid that is available to you as a first-year student starting your tertiary education adventure. The South African government’s National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) intends to give financial aid to qualified students seeking higher education. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is an important financial aid program for South African students seeking higher education. NSFAS provides a lifeline to first-year students by paying a variety of educational expenditures.

We will provide NSFAS financing for first-year students in this post, in addition to eligibility criteria and documents to submit when applying to the scheme.

READ MORE: NSFAS Unisa Allowances 2025

How Much Does NSFAS Pay For First-Year Students 2025

The funding amounts for accommodation, living allowance, transport, and learning materials must align with the latest approved guidelines set by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).NSFAS pays the following amounts to cover the educational expenses of students;

For students enrolled in universities, the funding amounts are as follows:

Accommodation: The funding will cover the actual costs charged by the university.
Transport: An amount of R7,500 per annum is allocated for transportation expenses.
Living allowance: Students will receive R15,000 per annum as a living allowance.
Book allowances: An amount of R5,200 per annum is provided to purchase learning materials.
Incidental/personal care allowance: Students residing in catered residences will receive R2,900 per annum for incidental and personal care expenses.

For students enrolled in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) colleges, the funding amounts differ based on the location of accommodation:

Accommodation in an urban area: The funding for accommodation in an urban area is set at R24,000 per annum.
Accommodation in a peri-urban area: Students residing in peri-urban areas will receive R18,900 per annum for accommodation expenses.
Accommodation in a rural area: For students living in rural areas, the funding for accommodation amounts to R15,750 per annum.
Transport: An amount of R7,350 per annum is allocated for transportation expenses.
Transport: Students will receive R7,000 per annum for transport costs.
Incidental/personal care allowance: All TVET students will receive an incidental/personal care allowance of R2,900 per annum.

Eligibility Criteria for NSFAS 2025-2026

Before applying for NSFAS funding, it’s important to understand the eligibility criteria. To be considered for financial assistance, applicants generally need to meet the following requirements:

South African citizenship or permanent residency.
SASSA grant recipients
Applicants whose combined gross household income is not more than R350 000 per year
Persons with disabilities whose combined gross household income is not more than R600 000 per year.
Must have an email account and cell phone number.

READ: NSFAS Grant 2025

Required Documents To Apply For NSFAS 2025-2026

Documents required for NSFAS 2025-2026 applications include:

Students with disabilities must provide:

A completed and signed Disability Annexure A Form

Students recognised as vulnerable children must provide the following:

An applicant who is recognised as a vulnerable child by the Department of Social Development must provide a Vulnerable Child Declaration form completed by a social worker

Other documents that may be required, if applicable:

Retrenchment letter
Death certificate/s
Divorce Decree
Proof of legal guardianship
Marriage certificate
other documents may be required for appeal purposes,….eg retrenchment letter

How to Apply for NSFAS in 2025

To apply for NSFAS funding in 2025, follow these steps:

Create a profile:

Create a myNSFAS account via this link: https://my.nsfas.org.za/ or download the NSFAS App on Google Play or App Store. Your ID number will be your username.

Apply now:

Click on the “Apply’ tab to update your personal information and upload your application supporting documents, as indicated.

Complete:

Submit your application

Ensure that all information provided is accurate and double-check before submitting your application.

READ: How NSFAS Fund 2025

NSFAS Contact Information

Website: www.nsfas.org.za
Email: info@nsfas.org.za
South African students: 0860 067 327
International students: +27 21 763 3232
Physical Address: 10 Brodie Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, South Africa, 7700
Postal Address: Private Bag X1, Plumstead, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, 7801

For NSFAS funding and the application process, first-year students can navigate their academic journey with financial support. Visit the NSFAS Official website here. Hope the provided information is helpful, kindly leave a comment below in the comment section.

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