WATCH | National Student Financial Aid Scheme sets out 2026 game plan

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is unveiling its plan for the 2026 academic year.

NSFAS Board Chairperson Dr Mugwena Maluleke is speaking in Pretoria. 

The address outlines NSFAS’s preparations for the 2026 academic year, with a focus on funding disbursements and registration support for universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

Maluleke will provide information on key processes, timelines, and responsibilities. 

These include the status and statistics of 2026 applications, submission of 2025 academic results and continuing-student funding decisions, NSFAS funding decisions and eligible lists, 2026 admissions, registration data submissions and validations, allowance distribution arrangements, qualification code updates and the 2026 disbursement schedule.

The briefing comes days after NSFAS confirmed on January 2 that it had processed all 2026 funding applications ahead of the start of the academic year, meeting its commitment to finalise applications by December 31, 2025.

NSFAS said students can view their funding status via the NSFAS portal.

According to the scheme, 609,403 applications qualified for financial aid, while 49,538 applications were rejected. 

Incomplete applications awaiting documentation totalled 218,043, withdrawn or cancelled applications stood at 16,863, and the total number of applications received was 893,847.

First-time entering students who meet the financial eligibility criteria may still require confirmation of valid acceptance from an institution of higher learning.

In most cases, this confirmation will only be available once matric results are released.

Applications classified as “in process” or “incomplete” relate to cases where additional documentation is outstanding. These applications are returned for further evaluation once the required information is submitted.

“Notifications have been sent to affected students, some more than once, clearly indicating the documents that must be provided,” NSFAS said.

Outstanding documentation primarily includes parental consent forms, which allow for household income verification, as well as complete parent or guardian details submitted through a correctly completed and signed NSFAS declaration form.

Applicants with outstanding documentation have 30 days from the date of notification to submit the required information.

“Applications that remain incomplete after 30 days will not be processed further and will be deemed unsuccessful,” the scheme said.

For continuing students, NSFAS said 416,688 met the academic progression criteria, while 129,264 did not. 

A total of 545,952 continuing students were assessed.

Continuing students are those previously funded by NSFAS who have met the academic requirements to remain eligible for funding.

NSFAS said TVET college results, due to be released on January 13, were not yet included in the assessment figures.

The scheme added that rejected students, whether first-time entrants or continuing students, have the right to appeal.

“For the 2026 academic year, NSFAS has further streamlined its appeals process to ensure that every student is afforded a fair and equitable opportunity to have their application reconsidered,” it said.

Applicants were warned to submit all required supporting documents as part of the appeal process, as incomplete submissions cannot be processed. 

It said appeals must be completed within 30 days from the date of outcome notification.

NSFAS also said it has cleared many outstanding claims from higher education institutions and invoices from accommodation providers.

“Where short payments remain, NSFAS is committed to working with accommodation providers to resolve these claims timeously and requests providers to lodge claims through the relevant NSFAS channels,” the scheme said.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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