{"id":1450,"date":"2026-12-04T13:58:00","date_gmt":"2026-12-04T13:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zansfas.co.za\/?page_id=1450"},"modified":"2026-12-04T13:58:00","modified_gmt":"2026-12-04T13:58:00","slug":"nsfas-funding-while-pursuing-a-learnership","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/nsfas-funding-while-pursuing-a-learnership\/","title":{"rendered":"NSFAS funding while pursuing a learnership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you are considering a learnership in South Africa, you may wonder if you can access NSFAS funding to support your studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme provides funding for eligible students in need, but many people are unsure about whether they can apply for this funding while undertaking a learnership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Learnership?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A learnership is a structured learning programme that combines both theoretical education and practical training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is designed to help you gain work experience in a specific field, while also earning a qualification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The qualification is often linked to specific industries, such as engineering, health, or business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learnerships are offered by employers, education providers, or SETAs (Sector Education and Training Authorities).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can You Receive NSFAS Funding While Doing a Learnership?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NSFAS funding is mainly intended for students pursuing formal education at public universities, TVET colleges, and some private institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, NSFAS does not offer funding for learnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A learnership is different from a traditional qualification in the sense that it involves both work and study components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While NSFAS funding<\/a> covers tuition and accommodation fees for enrolled students, a learnership is not treated the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Does NSFAS Not Fund Learnerships?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NSFAS is designed to support students pursuing full-time education at accredited institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since a learnership combines practical work experience with training, it falls outside the scope of traditional academic qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The funding provided by NSFAS is specifically aimed at covering the costs associated with formal education at universities or colleges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are There Other Funding Options for Learnerships?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although NSFAS doesn\u2019t fund learnerships, there are other financial assistance options available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some employers offer funding or stipends for learners who are undergoing learnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also explore other funding opportunities provided by SETAs or industry-related bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many learnership programmes may offer a stipend to cover living expenses while you gain work experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This stipend varies depending on the employer or SETA offering the learnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can You Apply for Funding for a Learnership?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While NSFAS doesn’t cover learnerships, you can still apply for financial support through other channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Employer-Sponsored Stipends: Many employers offer financial assistance as part of the learnership programme. Check with the company or organization offering the learnership to see if they provide funding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. SETAs: The Sector Education and Training Authorities <\/a>(SETAs) are government bodies that oversee skills development in South Africa. SETAs may offer funding or stipends for learners enrolled in their programmes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Bursaries and Scholarships: Some organizations provide bursaries or scholarships that can support learnerships, especially in certain industries like engineering, health, and IT.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Skills Development Grants: Some industry organizations offer grants to learners, which can help cover the costs of the learnership.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What Other Support Does NSFAS Provide for Students in Learnerships?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    While NSFAS does not directly fund learnerships, it does provide support for students who are enrolled in formal academic courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you plan to pursue a degree or diploma alongside your learnership, you may be eligible for NSFAS funding for the academic component of your studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    NSFAS funding could cover the cost of tuition, accommodation, and textbooks for the educational portion of your qualification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You may also qualify for other financial aid programs through your employer or SETA to support the practical work-based learning component of your training.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you are considering a learnership in South Africa, you may wonder if you can access NSFAS funding to support […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":885,"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-1450","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1450","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=1450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.zapage.co.za\/nsfas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1450\/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=1450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}