Cape Town - The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has officially opened applications for the 2024 funding cycle.
The announcement was made by Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande during a media briefing yesterday.
Nzimande was joined by NSFAS Board chairperson Ernest Khosa for the briefing on the opening of the national funding applications for 2024 as well as the overall readiness of the scheme.
Applications for the 2024 cycle will close on January 31 next year.
In the current financial year, NSFAS is funding just over 1 million students and this follows an unprecedented surge in the number of applications received by the scheme, Nzimande said.
He urged the students to apply timeously and said that they did not have to wait for matric results in order to apply.
As part of improving services to students, for this application period, there will be no supporting documents required at the time of application other than the student’s details and ID.
“All first-time applicants will be able to appeal as soon as they are rejected. However, the returning students and continuing students will only be able to appeal from the end of November as NSFAS is still improving the processes.”
Students would need to be registered at a public university or TVET college in order to be confirmed for funding.
“In order for NSFAS to successfully implement the funding of students in 2024, there needs to be closure of the 2023 funding cycle. This includes the finalisation of all the appeals and payments of all outstanding allowances for the academic year 2023. NSFAS is determined to do that and we have insisted that NSFAS must do that.”
Students who did not get successful funding responses for the 2023 academic year are encouraged to apply for the 2024 funding cycle.
“The proposed 2024 funding policy is almost complete and will be issued by the end of November to allow stakeholders to prepare for the 2024 academic year.”
The funding policy will also cover the issue of eligibility criteria and student allowances.
Prior to providing more details on this, Nzimande raised concerns about persistent gender-based violence at higher education institutions. The stabbing of a young woman by her husband at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology must be strongly condemned. He also welcomed the arrest at the University of Fort Hare for murder and attempted murder.
“I am however deeply concerned about the latest arrest of someone inside the vice-chancellor’s office and a person ostensibly responsible for the security at the institution,” Nzimande said.