How to Apply for NSFAS Funding: Step by Step Process

What NSFAS funding covers

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) pays tuition and registration fees for eligible South African students at public universities and TVET colleges, plus a set of allowances for accommodation, living costs, transport and study materials. You apply for this funding online, and the process is the same whether you plan to study at a university or a TVET college.

Every application goes through the myNSFAS portal, run by NSFAS at nsfas.org.za . There is no paper application and no fee to apply.

Documents you need before you start

Gather these before you open your application, so you are not searching for paperwork mid-process.

• Your South African ID document or birth certificate.
• ID documents for your parents, legal guardian, or spouse.
• Proof of household income: recent payslips, a UIF letter, a SASSA grant letter, or an affidavit if a parent is unemployed and earns no income.
• The NSFAS consent form, so NSFAS can check your household income against SARS and Home Affairs records.
• A disability annexure and supporting medical documentation, if this applies to you.

Every document needs certification less than three months old, done at a police station, a post office, or by a commissioner of oaths. Uncertified or expired copies get your application marked incomplete.

Step by step: applying on myNSFAS

1. Go to nsfas.org.za and create your myNSFAS profile with your ID number, a working email address, and a password.
2. Verify your email, then log in.
3. Complete the personal information section: your details, your parent or guardian's details, and household composition.
4. Upload your certified documents in the formats the portal accepts.
5. Sign the consent form for the means test.
6. Review every section for errors, then submit. Save the reference number you receive.

When to apply

NSFAS opens undergraduate applications for each academic year in the second half of the previous year and closes them before that academic year starts, so check nsfas.org.za for the exact window each cycle. For the 2026 academic year, applications opened in mid September 2025 and closed on 15 November 2025. NSFAS does not accept late applications, so apply as soon as the window opens rather than waiting.

If you already receive NSFAS funding and remain within your N+2 funding years, you do not need to submit a new application every year. Your continued funding depends on registering at your institution and passing the required percentage of your modules or credits.

University vs TVET college applications

You use the same myNSFAS portal whether you plan to study at a public university or a TVET college. Select your preferred institution and qualification during the application, though your final NSFAS funding follows your actual admission and registration, not your application choice.

After you submit

Log back into myNSFAS and open the Track Funding Progress section to follow your application. Statuses move through stages such as submitted, documents outstanding, under review, and a final funding decision. NSFAS communicates outcomes through the portal, so check it regularly.

Common mistakes that delay your application

• Submitting documents certified more than three months ago.
• Leaving out a parent or guardian's ID or income proof without an affidavit to explain the gap.
• Applying after the window closes.
• Ignoring requests on myNSFAS to upload outstanding documents.

Getting help

Contact the NSFAS Contact Centre through the details listed on nsfas.org.za, or visit your prospective institution's financial aid office. Financial aid officers help with document certification, portal errors, and outstanding requirements.