The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) paid the disbursements for University and TVET college students in respect of students for the 2024 academic cycle, against valid registration records received on the 15th March 2024 for TVET colleges and the 19th March 2024 for universities.
NSFAS would like to remind all institutions that the monthly payment date for TVET college allowances is the 25th of every month, and for universities it is the 30th of every month. It is therefore important that institutions submit their registration data to be included in the initiation of payment by the respective NSFAS cut-off dates communicated.
In the current payment circle, NSFAS paid University allowances to the value of
R2, 306,583,222,00 in total, which is divided as follows:
- Tuition to universities – R1,258,865,972,00
- Allowances via universities – R653,954,716,00
- Direct payment to students – R393,762,534,00
Loading of the 2024 registration data
NSFAS has initiated the registration upload period for institutions to submit the registration data for the 2024 academic year. Upon confirmation of funding and student registration for the funded/approved qualification, institutions are strongly encouraged to promptly submit their outstanding registration data for the 2024 academic year to NSFAS.
This submission is crucial for us to process payments for tuition and allowances. Institutions and the students are reminded that all subsequent disbursements will be based solely on the registration data received and processed successfully.
At the time of generating the payment file, NSFAS did not received the registration data from the University of Fort Hare and the University of Stellenbosch.
The list below indicates the number of registration data received on March 19th after the payment file generation. Unfortunately, this registration data did not form part of the April payment file.
- University of Venda
- University of Mpumalanga
- University of Limpopo
- University of the Witwatersrand
- Sol Plaatje University
- Durban University of Technology
- North-West University
- Vaal University of Technology
- University of Stellenbosch
- Mangosuthu University of Technology
- University of the Western Cape
- Tshwane University of Technology
TVET Colleges allowances
On the latest payment, the scheme paid TVET colleges allowances and tuition to the value of
R 511,106,120 in total, which is divided as follows:
- Tuition to colleges - R147,115,846
- Allowances via TVET colleges – R34,831,311
- NSFAS Card Allowances- R298,971,220
- Student Accommodation via solution providers – R30,187,743
Institutions submission of registration data
The following TVET colleges have not met the 15th March 2024 cut-off date for the submission of registration data for the April payment. Unfortunately, this registration data did not form part of the payment file for the April payment of allowances.
- Lovedale TVET College
- South West Gauteng TVET College
As on the 04th April 2024, all the TVET colleges had uploaded their registration data and the only TVET college that still needs to upload its registration data is Lovedale TVET College.
NSFAS is working with the college to ensure that they finalise the process of loading the registration data.
Student accommodation
Accommodation providers are also urged to ensure that all students in their accommodation establishments are onboarded on the myNSFAS accommodation portal. This will ensure that the registration data submitted by institutions contains this critical information which will ultimately lead to the payments of Accommodation Providers which accommodates NSFAS students.
Accommodation allowance paid comprise of the following:
- Institutional residences - R255, 765, 764,00
- Private accommodation – R436, 732, 491,00
Total accommodation disbursement: R702, 498,255,00
NSFAS interventions on institutions not submitted registration data
NSFAS has sent its servicing administrators to work with all college and universities to finalise the submission of the registration data and to actively addressed NSFAS related challenges faced by students. The servicing administrator are currently working with all institutions which have not submitted their registration data in order for them to comply to this standard operating procedure for the payment of allowances.
Through these regular visits to campuses and the provision of assistance and support, NSFAS aims to alleviate the tensions and contribute to a harmonious academic environment for all institutions.
UJ uploaded incorrect registration data
During the 2024 academic year registration data upload period, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) mistakenly uploaded incorrect registration data, resulting in erroneous allowances being paid out to students. Instead of uploading the correct amount of R16500.00 for the academic year 2024, the institution accidentally uploaded the R3300.00 meal allowance.
The payment of allowances is not a manual process; rather, it is system-based. The NSFAS system processed the R3300 claimed assuming it was for annual allowances, and consequently divided it by 10, representing the 10 months from February to November 2024.
The implications of the incorrect allowance payment are significant. Students who received lower allowances (R330.00 instead of R1650.00) than expected are likely to be dissatisfied. This dissatisfaction may lead to protests and a negative perception of the NSFAS direct payment process.
Rectifying the error will require efforts from UJ. Staff will need to investigate the issue, communicate with affected students, and process corrections in the system. Additionally, NSFAS will have to ensure that the adjustment platform is ready to receive corrections.
There is a reputational risk associated with this incident. The NSFAS disbursement process might come under scrutiny and be blamed for UJ's error. Negative publicity can impact NSFAS's image and erode public trust in its operations.
