The National Student Financial Aid Scheme is a government-run organisation that reports to the Ministry of Higher Education and Training (DHET). It offers study bursaries to scholars planning to attend Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges or public universities.

So how much is the NSFAS allowance for college students? And is NSFAS increasing the allowance for 2023? There are more than just tuition fees to consider when budgeting for further education, so how much money do you get from NSFAS? Below is listed how much each student received for expenses.

What does the NSFAS Allowance bursary cover?

Amounts indicated of accommodation, living allowance, transport and learning materials need to be aligned with the approved latest DHET guidelines.UNIVERSITY

  • Accommodation
    As per the actual costs charged by the university (costs for private accommodation must not exceed costs for university residence)
  • Transport (up to 40 km from institution) R7 500  per annum
  • Living allowance R15, 000  per annum
  • Book allowances R5200 per annum
  • Incidental/personal care allowance R2900 per annum for students in catered residences

TVET

  • Accommodation in an urban area R24,000 per annum
  • Accommodation in an peri-urban area R18,900 per annum
  • Accommodation in an rural area R15,750 per annum
  • Transport (up to 40 km from institution) R7,350  per annum
  • Transport R7000 per annum
  • Incidental/personal care allowance R2900 per annum

How much Allowance does NSFAS give students per month

The below stipend amounts are limited, per pupil, to one Pre-Vocational Learning (PLP), National Certificate (Vocational) (NCV), or R191 course per year. The following information is based on the DHET-NSFAS Bursary Rules for 2023.

  • Personal care costs – R2,900 per month paid annually
  • Transport allowance – R7,350 per month paid annually
  • Private residents – R25,200 paid monthly on an annual basis for accredited properties
  • Hostel accommodation – R33 000 per year Annual
  • NCV (Including PLP) – 10 payments per month R191 Semester – 5 monthly payments during the semester R191 Trimester – 3 monthly payments during the Trimester

Important Updates for NSFAS Allowance & Payments

NSFAS Allowance and Payment Date – 7th March 2022: NSFAS has announced 7th March 2022 to be the release date for NSFAS allowances for 2022. All students who applied for the 2022 NSFAS Allowance are urged to take note of the following important information.

  • All students already confirmed for NSFAS funding and registered for legible courses will receive their allowances from the week of 7 March 2022.
  • An allowance of R15 000 per annum will be split into 10 months. This will make up a value of R1500 per month to be released on the first day of each month.
  • Once uploaded onto the system, students will receive an SMS to update their banking details on the FUNDI system.
  • The living allowance amount will be transferred to the students’ individual bank accounts.
  • Returning students who were funded in 2021 and confirmed for 2022 will automatically receive their learning material.
  • First-time entering students and returning students not funded in 2021 will have to complete an option form before learning material allowance is This is to comply with the guideline saying ‘A student who is receiving financial aid from NSFAS for the first time is required to purchase a digital learning device in that year of study if the student is not in possession of a digital learning device already’.
  • The form will be available at Financial Aid Offices (FAO) across campuses, for completion by this group. Students may email the form back to the campus where they registered.
  • An amount of R5200 for learning material is approved by NSFAS for the 2022 academic year.
  • The closing date for submission of the learning material application form will be 31 March 2022.