More than 100,000 students have lodged appeals with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) after receiving their funding outcomes for the 2026 academic year.
NSFAS has handled a total of 101,000 appeals from students who are unhappy with their funding decisions, said acting CEO Waseem Carrim during a briefing on Thursday. Of these:
- 22,000 have been approved;
- 18,000 have been rejected;
- 44,000 were closed, deleted and withdrawn; while
- another 9,000 appeals are incomplete because students have not yet submitted the required supporting documents.
NSFAS urged those students to upload the outstanding documents as soon as possible so their appeals can be processed.
Students are allowed to appeal if they did not meet academic progression requirements or financial eligibility criteria. Appeals may also be considered in cases involving:
- medical conditions;
- traumatic events; or
- evidence that the student is likely to complete their qualification.
NSFAS reminded students that they have 30 days from the date they receive their funding outcomes to submit and finalise their appeals.
Accommodation remains a major concern for many students. NSFAS said it has received 224,983 accommodation applications, with 148,825 students and accommodation providers submitting signed leases confirming housing arrangements
The scheme said:
- 692,704 first-time entering students have been approved for funding;
- 550,959 continuing students have met the academic progression requirements; and
- 1,561 loan applications have been approved.
NSFAS said it had also started disbursing funds to institutions to ensure students receive their allowances.
For universities, NSFAS made two major upfront payments:
- R3,557,285,045 was disbursed on February 2 to cover allowances and accommodation; and
- R2,824,849,085 was paid on March 2 to continue supporting students during the academic year.
Payments have also been made to TVET colleges:
- R679,079,050 was released on February 2 to cover tuition fees;
- R145,457,290 was paid to 51,130 students on February 13; and
- R446,590,368 was paid to 138,115 students on February 27.
“These are not just figures, they represent our commitment to removing financial barriers, creating a stable and enabling environment for academic success,” said Carrim.
Accommodation concerns amid financial strain
Accommodation remains a major concern for many students. NSFAS said it has received 224,983 accommodation applications, with 148,825 students and accommodation providers submitting signed leases confirming housing arrangements.
However, many students have not yet submitted signed lease agreements, which could delay accommodation funding. The scheme urged students and accommodation providers to complete the process as soon as possible to avoid delays in payments and housing allocation.
The first accommodation disbursement for the year is scheduled for March 13, while the registration portal is expected to close on March 31
Despite the progress, NSFAS acknowledged that the system is under financial strain after a R13bn budget shortfall in 2025.
“The system does remain under severe financial pressure,” said Carrim, adding that the scheme and the department of higher education are working to ensure that “no financially deserving and academically deserving student is left behind for 2026”.
NSFAS said its broader mission remains to expand access to education for poor and working-class students.
“Our mission is quite clear: to ensure that no academically deserving student is financially denied the opportunity to pursue their studies simply because of financial constraints.”
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