When you apply for NSFAS, your application can be rejected, especially when you are already receiving other forms of financial assistance. For instance, you get a message saying that you are already registered. This article explains what you should do about “NSFAS Registered” SRD status.
What to Do if SASSA Says NSFAS Registered?
When SASSA says NSFAS registered, you should follow the steps below to appeal the decision.
- Visit https://srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/reconsideration
- Find the “Application for Reconstruction” tab
- Go where it says, “Click Here to Apply for Reconsideration.”
- Enter your phone number and ID number, which you used when submitting.
- You will see the “Reason for Decline” and the “Reason for Reconsideration”.
- On the drop-down menu, click “Not NSFAS Registered”.
- Follow the prompts that appear on the screen to perform the reconsideration of your payment and click submit.
- Once you submit your application for reconsideration, it becomes pending since SASSA will need to review it, which can take about two weeks.
Make sure you submit your appeal application within 30 days of receiving the decline.
Will NSFAS Fund Me if I Receive R350 SASSA?
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme is specifically meant for disadvantaged South African students to help them fund their tertiary education. Chances are high that the NSFAS applicants may have received the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. This grant is offered to unemployed people with no source of income during an emergency like the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you are a beneficiary of the R350 grant, you can still apply for NSFAS funding. However, once you’re approved for NSFAS funding, you will no longer be eligible to continue getting the R350 grant. The R350 grant payments will be stopped when SASSA conducts its monthly review and discovers that you already have another grant.
If your status reads “NSFAS Registered,” you cannot apply for an R350 grant. No one can receive both R350 grant payments and NSFAS at the same time. The reason for this is that R350 is meant for people who do not have any source of income or get any grants or UIF, as well as NSFAS.
You need to check the NSFAS requirements before applying to see if you qualify for funding despite receiving other grants. All grants help provide financial assistance to the poor, but some of them cannot be received concurrently.
Do You Get SRD Grant if You Have NSFAS?
If you already have NSFAS, you cannot get a SASSA SRD grant. SRD is meant for people with no other form of income, so NSFAS beneficiaries will not be considered. The grant is for the poor, so double dipping is not allowed. However, a SASSA beneficiary can apply for NSFAS funding. NSFAS helps students from poor backgrounds pursue their studies at public universities or TVET colleges in South Africa.
The following are the categories of people who can apply for the R350 grant.
- South African citizens
- Refugees
- Permanent residents
- Asylum seekers
- Unemployed individuals but holders of special permits from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Angola
- Individuals with no source of income or any form of financial support from other sources
- People above 18 years and below 60 years
- Caregivers without any grant can also apply for R350 aid.
Does NSFAS Work With SASSA?
NSFAS and SRD R350 grants do not work together since you cannot get funding from both agencies. However, applicants can qualify for the NSFAS bursary scheme if they get any other SASSA grant apart from R350. It is vital to check the NSFAS requirements concerning other grants before you submit your application.
You should know that NSFAS and SASSA relief grants are different; they help the beneficiaries on separate occasions. They must not be associated with each other, although an individual can apply for them at some point in time. When you get an SRD grant, you can apply for NSFAS funding, but these are mutually exclusive.
While the SASSA relief grant does not affect your NSFAS application, you cannot continue getting it if NSFAS funding has been approved. NSFAS provides monthly allowances, so you will not need an additional grant from SASSA. NSFAS does not work with SASSA, but it checks if the applicant is getting SRD grant.
How Long Does NSFAS Take to Fund You After Registration?
The duration it takes for NSFAS to fund you after registration depends on different factors. In some cases, it can take only a few days before you get a response, or it might take a few weeks. All applicants have different circumstances which affect the processing time of applications.
NSFAS applications are reviewed in the order they are submitted, so early submission of your application can quicken the response time. You must check the opening and closing dates for submitting NSFAS applications.
Additionally, ensure you upload correct documents which are easily verifiable. If other details are missing from your application or not clear, the verification process can take a long period. It is vital to double-check all the details you provide on your NSFAS application for funding to avoid delays.
When everything is correct, the application will take a few days or weeks to be processed. Once it has been approved, you will get the first payment of your allowance during the following month’s first week. You can get the money from your institution or use your NSFAS wallet. Students who receive private accommodation allowance do not qualify to get transport allowance.
When you receive an SRD grant, you are eligible to apply for NSFAS funding. However, once the NSFAS bursary has been approved, you will no longer receive the R350 grant since it is meant for people without any source of income. NSFAS and SASSA do not work together, although they provide financial assistance to the needy. The purposes of these two grants are different, which means they do not work together.
