{"id":1164,"date":"2026-11-20T21:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-20T21:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zansfas.co.za\/?page_id=1164"},"modified":"2026-11-20T21:45:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-20T21:45:00","slug":"who-can-apply-for-nsfas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/who-can-apply-for-nsfas\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Can Apply for NSFAS?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NSFAS is a government initiative designed to provide financial assistance to South African students pursuing tertiary education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to know who qualifies to apply for NSFAS if you\u2019re planning to fund your studies through this scheme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article explains the eligibility requirements for NSFAS and answers common questions to help you determine if you meet the criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Basic Requirements to Apply for NSFAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To apply for NSFAS, you must be a South African citizen or hold a permanent residency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You also need to demonstrate financial need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NSFAS is specifically for students whose combined household income does not exceed R350,000 annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a student with a disability, your household income limit increases to R600,000 annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You must either be enrolled at a public university or TVET college or planning to register there for the upcoming academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, you should not have previously obtained a qualification funded by NSFAS<\/a>, unless it\u2019s under special circumstances, such as pursuing a scarce skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Matriculants Apply for NSFAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, if you are currently in Grade 12, you can apply for NSFAS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a matriculant, you must be preparing to register at a public university or TVET college in South Africa the following year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submitting your application early ensures that your funding will be processed in time if you meet all requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Returning Students Apply for NSFAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are already enrolled in a higher education institution and are financially struggling, you can apply for NSFAS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you must meet the academic performance criteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This typically requires passing at least 50% of your modules in the previous academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are repeating a year or a significant number of modules, NSFAS might not continue funding your studies unless you can justify your circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Employed Individuals Apply for NSFAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, you can still apply for NSFAS even if you are employed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, your eligibility depends on your household income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your household income exceeds R350,000 annually, you will not qualify, even if your job alone does not cover your tuition fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can International Students Apply for NSFAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No, international students are not eligible for NSFAS funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scheme is strictly reserved for South African citizens and permanent residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are an international student, you may need to explore other scholarships or private funding opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Students at Private Colleges Apply for NSFAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No, NSFAS does not fund studies at private colleges or universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only public universities and TVET colleges are eligible institutions under the NSFAS program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plan to attend a private institution, you will need to seek alternative funding options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Postgraduate Students Eligible for NSFAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NSFAS generally does not fund postgraduate studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only exceptions are students pursuing qualifications in scarce skill areas, such as medicine or engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re planning to pursue a postgraduate degree, you should check with your university for other funding opportunities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NSFAS is a government initiative designed to provide financial assistance to South African students pursuing tertiary education.  You need to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1164","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1164"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1164\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}