NSFAS receives nearly 500 000

Minister of Transport Dr. Blade Nzimande briefing members of the media on the SANRAL announcement on key Infrastructure projects in response to the President Stimulus Package projects. Pretoria, 26/02/2019. Jairus Mmutle/GCIS

NSFAS receives nearly 500 000 applications for 2021

Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande says NSFAS has received at least 200 000 more votes than last year

NSFAS receives nearly 500 000

Minister of Transport Dr. Blade Nzimande briefing members of the media on the SANRAL announcement on key Infrastructure projects in response to the President Stimulus Package projects. Pretoria, 26/02/2019. Jairus Mmutle/GCIS

More than 493 000 people have applied for funding with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), for studying in the 2021 academic year.

The applications come as Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande warned that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited classroom time, would have a bearing on the next academic year. In a statement, Nzimande said by this time last year, NSFAS had only received more than 287 769 applications.

“Female applicants account for 68% (338 324) of the total, while male applicants only account for 32% (155 543). This trend has been continuing in this trajectory for the past three years,” the minister said.

Nzimande said there have been major improvements from provinces that had extremely low applications in the past two years, with the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West having doubled their previous year’s statistics.

“These latest statistics are encouraging and give an indication that NSFAS’s efforts in providing easy access through partnerships is yielding positive results,” he said.

NSFAS applications not closed yet

KwaZulu-Natal remains the leading province, with its applications accounting for 26% of the overall applications statistics, followed by Gauteng with 21% and Limpopo with 17%.

Nzimande has further expressed his gratitude to the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the Department of Basic Education for their continuous support and partnership.

“We remain highly grateful to the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for their continuous support and partnership. NYDA centres and Teacher’s Centres across the country will remain operational a NSFAS application centres throughout the application cycle. We would like to encourage applicants to use these centres,” the minister said.

The applications for NSFAS funding opened on 3 August 2020 and will only close on 30 November 2020.

“NYDA centres, teachers’ centres and NSFAS application centres across the country will remain operational throughout the application cycle. We would like to encourage applicants to use these centres,”

Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande

NSFAS has also launched a Virtual Outreach Exhibition (VOE), which is an interactive live streaming session.

“The VOE is a 3D online portal where a user can embark on a virtual tour of NSFAS products and services, virtual exhibition simulation, real time engagement virtually interface, watch application demonstration on how to apply, and live stream events,” the department said in a statement.

VOE is available 24 hours a day without restrictions on location or time.