National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has received thousands of online applications from students hoping to have their funding covered with only a few months remaining before the application deadline arrives. According to the bursary scheme, it has recorded an extra than 230 000 applications received so far.

Since the National Student Financial Aid Scheme opened its student funding applications for the 2023 academic year on 28 September 2022, it has been over a month now.

The application system provides real-time funding decisions for SASSA beneficiaries and to date, 52508 SASSA beneficiaries have already had their 2023 funding confirmed.

Nsfas’ application process has also been improved, making it more user-friendly and reportedly more similar to other platforms potential applicants are familiar with, such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Applications can be submitted online at myNsfas. Mobile Application, USSD Code, and WhatsApp are additional application channels created by Nsfas.

Applicants can now track, suspend, resume and cancel scholarship applications on these platforms. Nsfas will also initiate outreach to ensure that applicants without access to technology can continue to apply.

To help financially disadvantaged students who desire to continue and complete their studies at public universities or TVET colleges, the government established NSFAS in accordance with the NSFAS Act (Act 56 of 1999).