Over time, South Africa’s National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has expanded greatly. NSFAS was created in 1991 to help students from low-income and working-class families pay for college. The number of students supported by the scheme has grown due to recent improvements made to the application and funding processes.
The government has increased funding to NSFAS in recent years, making it possible to help even more students. Although progress has been made, obstacles remain, such as the need to streamline the distribution of funds and increase communication with recipients. Notwithstanding, NSFAS is vital to extending higher education opportunities and decreasing inequality in South Africa.
How many students are funded by NSFAS 2025
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a government agency in South Africa that provides financial assistance to eligible students from low-income and working-class families who pursue higher education. The funding will cover the accommodation costs and any tuition fees that may be incurred.
NSFAS provided financial assistance to approximately 700,000 students in 2026/2026, a sizeable increase from the 480,000 students it supported in 2018. The government’s decision to start providing free higher education to eligible students beginning in 2018 led to a surge in applications for funding from the NSFAS, which led to the increase.
Despite the increase in the number of students eligible to receive funding, distributing the funds has been difficult.
In 2019, the NSFAS was criticized for delaying payments and failing to provide sufficient transparency regarding the distribution of funds.
Some students have reported that they have not received their allowances for several months, making it difficult to pay for their tuition and other living expenses.
Since then, NSFAS has been working to enhance its operations in a variety of ways, including expanding its staff capacity and launching a brand-new online application system.
In addition, the organization has formed partnerships with educational institutions of higher learning to ensure the timely and efficient distribution of funds.
In general, the NSFAS plays a significant part in providing students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with the opportunity to pursue higher education.
Nevertheless, the organization must continue to address its operational challenges to guarantee that students will receive the financial assistance they require to succeed in their academic pursuits.
What percentage of students are funded by NSFAS?
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a South African government program that provides financial aid to qualifying students so they can attend college.
Many students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can’t go to college without NSFAS funding. Concerns have been raised about the number of men and women who get NSFAS funding and the number of students who get NSFAS funding.
The NSFAS Annual Report for the 2026 fiscal year says that the program helped 419,953 students, 64% of whom were women and 42% of whom were men.
This is a big change from years past when more men than women received NSFAS funding. But there is still work to be done to ensure that funding is available to all deserving students, regardless of gender.
In terms of how much money was given to students by NSFAS, the report says that for the 2026 academic year, R37.9 billion was given out. This is a big jump from the previous year when R26.5 billion was the total amount given out. The funding went up because the criteria for getting funding were made broader.
This meant that more students could get funding.
The number of students who receive money from NSFAS has also grown significantly over the years. In 2020, NSFAS gave money to 69% of all eligible students, a big step up from the previous years. This is because the government wants to give more money to higher education and make it easier for everyone to go to school.
In a nutshell, while significant progress has been made in improving the male-to-female ratio of NSFAS funding and increasing the percentage of students funded by NSFAS, further improvement is still needed to ensure that funding is accessible to all deserving students regardless of their gender or background.
Is NSFAS increasing in 2026?
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a South African government program that helps students with good grades and low incomes pay for their college or university education. The number of students who qualify for NSFAS funding changes yearly, so the percentage of students who get funding also changes.
Over the years, NSFAS funding has grown significantly. In 2013, it was only R3.3 billion, but by 2020, it will be R34.2 billion. Because of this increase in funding, NSFAS can give money to a higher percentage of eligible students. In 2020, NSFAS gave money to about 700,000 students, a big jump from 2012, when it gave money to about 55,000 students.
The increase in student funding has made it possible for more students from low-income families to go to college and has helped make the South African education system more equal. However, it is still hard to ensure that all students who deserve it can get NSFAS funding, and the program continues to have problems with how it is managed and run.
How many students are funded by NSFAS in total?
According to the NSFAS Annual Report for the 2019/20 fiscal year, the organization granted funding to more than 700,000 students in just that single year. This number almost certainly shifts from one year to the next, depending on the amount of money allotted to the NSFAS and the number of applications submitted.
Certainly, the number of students receiving funds from NSFAS has risen. Currently, it is estimated that NSFAS funds more than 750,000 students.
