NATIONAL NEWS - Students seeking funding for tertiary education have until the end of November to submit applications to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for the 2020 academic year.
The application cycle, which opened on Sunday, 1 September, will run for three months, closing at midnight on 30 November.
To qualify for funding, students must obtain a place to study at a public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college or university.
‘This means they must be admitted and register for a funded qualification for the 2020 academic year.
NSFAS assesses the financial eligibility of a student, while institutions are responsible for making admissions decisions,’ said Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande.
‘Government has set aside more than R80-billion for the next three years to ensure that prospective students from poor and working-class families with a combined household income of R350 000 per annum or less have access to higher education.’
Nzimande said students who are currently funded by NSFAS for this year are not required to reapply for 2020 funding.
‘NSFAS will continue to fund these students provided they meet the NSFAS progression criteria.
‘Students who applied but were not awarded NSFAS funding will be required to apply again for next year,’ he said.
He also urged aspiring students to ensure that while they apply for funding, they have also submitted the necessary applications to universities and TVET colleges.
