Who qualifies for NSFAS in South Africa?

Short answer: NSFAS mainly funds South African citizens and permanent residents from households that meet the income requirements who are studying at public universities or public TVET colleges.

Who this applies to

This information applies to:

South African citizens
Permanent residents
Students applying to public universities
Students applying to public TVET colleges
First-time NSFAS applicants and returning students

Basic NSFAS eligibility requirements

To qualify for NSFAS, you generally must meet all of the following:

Be a South African citizen or permanent resident
Be accepted or registered at a public university or TVET college
Be studying towards an approved qualification
Meet the household income threshold set by NSFAS
Not have previously completed a qualification funded by NSFAS

Household income explained

NSFAS uses combined household income to decide if a student qualifies.

Household income may include:

Income from parents or legal guardians
Income from a spouse (if married)
Any other income contributing to the household

If your household income is above the NSFAS threshold, your application may be rejected.

A smart next step: check your APS

Even if you qualify for NSFAS, you still need to meet your programme’s entry requirements.

If you’re applying to university, your APS can affect what you qualify to study.
Universities often count your best 6 subjects, and Life Orientation may be excluded.

Try the APS Calculator to estimate your APS instantly.

Who usually does NOT qualify

Students are commonly rejected if they:

Apply to a private college or private university
Do not upload all required documents
Upload unclear or incorrect documents
Have household income above the NSFAS limit
Already completed a funded qualification

Special cases and exceptions

NSFAS may still consider applications from students who:

Come from child-headed households
Have parents who are deceased
Have special family or financial circumstances

These cases usually require additional supporting documents.

What to do if your NSFAS application is rejected

If your application is rejected, you can:

Log in to the NSFAS portal to check the rejection reason
Submit an appeal during the appeal period
Upload missing or corrected documents
Track your appeal status online

Appeals are time-sensitive, so it is important to act quickly.