When applying for a loan or bursary through The NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme), you will need a consent form to complete your application online.
This form provides the contact information of your parents or guardians. The form’s purpose is to obtain permission from parents or guardians so that NSFAS may verify the accuracy of personal and confidential information like their income and employment details from third parties. The NSFAS needs the form because it must adhere to laws that protect the confidentiality and privacy of the individuals involved.
How to Fill Out the NSFAS Consent Form?
First, download the consent form and ensure you have all relevant documents ready before submitting your online application. Once you submit it, you cannot go back and add documents, and you’ll have to wait for the evaluator to request the document from you.
Since you will not be able to complete your application without the consent form, it’s important to understand what you should do:
The method:
If you do not own a smartphone, laptop or computer, you may use the facilities at application centres.
- Once you have registered your myNSFAS account, you can complete the consent form.
- Follow the link to the NSFAS Consent Page, where you will find the online form: “Application For Financial Assistance To Study At A Public University Or TVET College.”
- Click here for a detailed tutorial to complete a PDF form online in Google.
- Read through the form carefully – you will quickly see that it only requires information you know, such as your parent or legal guardian’s full names and ID numbers.
- It is equally simple to complete the form online in Adobe Acrobat. Just click on the “T” in the toolbar above the form, and the software will allow you to enter the information.
- Start by inserting your own ID at the top right of the page. Then fill in the names, ID numbers and contact numbers of either your parents or legal guardians. Make sure to correct any errors as you go through the details.
- If you don’t have a computer at home for your parents or guardians to sign electronically, you can print out the completed PDF and get them to sign where necessary on paper.
- You can then upload the form again after obtaining the signatures.
- If you feel concerned about uploading your consent form and any other documents, you will find several helpful videos on YouTube that explains each step in detail.
- Finally, remember that false information will ruin your chances of a successful application and could lead to legal action against you, your parents or your guardians.
Does The NSFAS want a consent form?
The short answer to this question is yes! This consent form is a legal requirement because the NSFAS is dedicated to protecting and using personal information lawfully. Part of the legal responsibilities of the NSFAS is to obtain your family’s permission to verify all the information you provide in your application and related documents. For example, The NSFAS must confirm employment and salary details with third parties such as employers. When a family signs this consent form, they give NSFAS legal consent to verify with third parties that all information is correct and relevant.
Where do I send my NSFAS form?
After completing the consent form and your parents have signed, log into the MyNSFAS portal. There is an option to upload supporting documents.
You merely upload the documents and click the “Submit Documents” tab.
Sometimes you may experience problems even though you did upload the documents. This problem is usually due to documents being unclear. If you cannot take photos of documents with a smartphone, you can go to any NSFAS or NYDA (National Youth Development Agency) office for support.
You may also ask the college or university where you have registered to assist you. It’s also helpful to make friends with other applicants and ask for their advice and support.
After creating your myNSFAS account, completing the application and consent, uploading all the documents and submitting your application, you can track your application’s progress online.
How do I get an NSFAS declaration form?
If a student does not know the whereabouts of their parents, this form is where the student officially states the situation. The signatories of this form are usually social workers and/or school principals.
You can download The “declaration form” from the NSFAS website at this link.
Once you have completed the form, you can upload it the same way as the other documents you upload with your application.
Conclusion
Always bear in mind that signing any paperwork from NSFAS does not mean you are guaranteed to receive funding. As mentioned elsewhere, thousands of students apply each year. It stands to reason that correct applications, with all the relevant documentation, will receive an outcome faster than those with delays, errors or missing documents.
