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By Thebe Mabanga
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is geared up for the 2026 academic year, with digitisation and the introduction of biometrics at the heart of the application process.
The application cycle for a new academic year is the first under the leadership of a new board, led by Dr Karen Stander, and an executive, led by acting CEO Waseem Carrim.
Applications are set to close on November 15.
“The application process is robust, user-friendly and supported by strong front-end and back-end functionality,” says Carrim.
“The larger challenge is the sustainability of NSFAS and its ability to provide ongoing medium-term funding to all qualifying, financially and academically eligible beneficiaries.”
In mid-October, at the midway stage of the application process, over 420,000 applications had been received for the 2026 academic year, with thousands more expected before the closing date.
Carrim says NSFAS has introduced innovations such as digital signatures and storage of all forms and agreements.
They have also introduced biometrics for processes such as change of password and bank details, as well as physical identification of applicants and linking them to their institution.
This is particularly important for curbing fraud in instances where an applicant has applied through multiple institutions.
Support is available by telephone, email, social media and walk-in applications, and a total of 80 consultants are available to assist with incoming calls.
Applicants can apply at walk-ins at NSFAS offices, the National Youth Development Agency, TVET college campuses and youth desks at municipalities.
The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, points out that learners and their families must be confident that if they apply for NSFAS and they qualify, they will get the funding, or if they are allocated accommodation, it will be decent. Rebuilding trust will be key.
“The halfway mark on the NSFAS application window is upon us, and all prospective students who dream of studying at a university or TVET college next year must apply now. Don’t wait until the last minute; this is your chance to secure your future,” he said.
The Department of Higher Education and Training, together with NSFAS, has noted strong participation from matriculants, gap-year students, and returning learners. The department notes that many eligible applicants have yet to apply, especially from rural and township areas.
Manamela says there will be no extension or reopening of the applications and urged applicants who do not have their matric results to use their Grade 11 results and update these later. The minister called on teachers, university students, and community leaders to help learners apply.
NSFAS funds studies to all public universities, universities of technology, and TVET colleges, and Manamela urged students and parents to explore all options, including TVET colleges, which he says offer a pathway to employment with the range of technical and vocational skills they offer, as well as artisan, technical, and entrepreneurial careers.
“I would like to urge parents to look at their local TVET colleges. See where their children will study and inspect facilities such as workshops for engineering studies. If you want to become a fitter, a welder, a solar technician, or a cybersecurity analyst, this is your moment. Apply to NSFAS today and take the first step toward your qualification.”
He added that NSFAS teams, in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education and Training and SETAs, are visiting schools, community halls, and youth centres to provide on-the-spot assistance with applications and queries.
The department also announced that during this application window, it will be setting up an NSFAS War Room that will operate into the new academic year “until the last query is sorted and the last appeal is addressed,” according to Manamela.
Beyond the application process, NSFAS is also grappling with challenges, including student accommodation as well as payment of allowances.
Carrim says the structural challenges with accommodation relate to the availability of suitable accommodation, especially in rural areas. The construction of student accommodation in suitable areas is part of the government’s infrastructure drive.
He says institutions must also look into how accommodation is allocated and not accept more learners than they can accommodate. NSFAS is reviewing which functions can be handed over to institutions and which can be handled by NSFAS in relation to accommodation and allowance payments.
NSFAS is reviewing all contracts, including those with intermediaries for their services.
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