The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) continues to engage institutions and provide relevant updates on the 2024 academic year upfront payments; types of allowances to be disbursed and the loading of the 2024 academic year registration data.
Universities
2024 academic year upfront payment:
To support universities and students, NSFAS made an upfront payment to all institutions on the 31st January 2024.
The upfront payment was administered to cover the following:
- Book Allowance: Calculated at half of the 2023 academic year cost.
- Accommodation: Set to cover one month of accommodation costs.
- Medical Students: Provision was made for two months’ worth of allowances, to assist select institutions that registered medical students whose academic year starts in Jan.
Universities were advised to utilise the funds disbursed to them in accordance with the specified allowance types mentioned above.
NSFAS will be facilitating another upfront payment now in February 2024 to cover the following:
- Book allowances: Calculated for the second half of the 2024 academic year.
- Accommodation allowances: Set to cover the second (March) month's accommodation allowances of the 2024 academic year.
- Transport allowances: Calculated for two (February and March) months of the 2024 academic year.
- Food allowances: Set to cover two (February and March) months of the 2024 academic year.
- Personal Care: Set to cover two (February and March) months of the 2024 academic year.
Type of allowances and distribution channels:
On February 10, 2024, NSFAS communicated that allowances will be distributed using the direct payment methods. The same communication further confirmed that the direct payment partners assigned to respective institutions last year will be utilized for the 2024 academic year.
NSFAS requested universities to pay allowances for both February and March due to challenges experienced at the beginning of the 2024 academic year, which led to delays in receiving registration data from universities.
Universities were also requested to allow direct payment service providers to conduct the process of onboarding students whilst they continue with payments.
The direct payments of allowance for the 2024 academic year will commence in April 2024 and universities will only administer the payment of allowances for only two months (February and March) because the 3rd allowances will be made on the direct payment platform. No exceptions or deviations will be allowed.
The following is the breakdown of the 3rd university allowance type:
|
Allowance Type |
Distribution Channel |
|
Book Allowance |
Institutions |
|
Accommodation allowances for the Non-Pilot accommodations |
Institutions |
|
Private Accommodation Allowances Pilot |
NSFAS |
|
Food Allowance |
Direct Payments |
|
Travel Allowances |
Direct Payments |
|
Living Allowances |
Direct Payments |
|
Pre-funder Allowances |
Institutions |
|
Disability Funding |
Institutions |
Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVETs)
NSFAS disbursed tuition, calculated at 20% of each institutional tuition allocation through an upfront payment to Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
NSFAS urged TVET Colleges to urgently load their registration information so that payments can be made on the direct payment platform.
The types of TVET allowances and their distribution channels for the 2024 academic year are as follows:
|
Allowance Type |
Distribution Channel |
|
College Owned, Managed / Leased Accommodation Allowance |
Institutions |
|
Private Accommodation Allowances Pilot |
NSFAS |
|
Private Accommodation Allowances Non-Pilot |
Direct Payment |
|
Food Allowance |
Direct Payment |
|
Travel Allowances |
Direct Payment |
|
Living Allowances |
Direct Payment |
|
Pre-funder Allowances |
Institutions |
|
Disability Funding |
Institutions |
Submission of the 2024 registration data
Both the universities and TVET colleges were notified that the period for the 2024 academic year registration data upload process commenced on February 22, 2024.
While NSFAS acknowledges the ongoing registration and funding for certain students, institutions are strongly advised not to postpone the upload of registration data for already funded students.
The registration data template is readily available for download directly from the NSFAS portal.
Upon the detection of dual/multiple registration data, NSFAS will temporarily block transactions from students' accounts. Affected students will receive email and SMS notifications guiding them through the account reactivation process. Account reactivation is contingent upon receiving confirmation.
To facilitate this, NSFAS has established the email address 2024dualreg@nsfas.org.za for affected students to submit their confirmation. Students must note that termination of funding will occur if confirmation is not received within the stipulated timeframe.
Institutions were further advised to contact the NSFAS Servicing Administrator deployed in all institutions.
Payment of allowances
The allowances for students at universities will be paid by the end of February 2024.
The allowances for students at TVET colleges will be paid by the 06th March 2024, pending the successful upload of registration information by TVET colleges on the 28 February 2024.
NSFAS appeals to students to work with their respective institutions to ensure that the processes of the payment of allowances is facilitated smoothly.
