Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

2020 NSFAS Funding at Universities

04 March 2020

What does the bursary cover?

• Accommodation
• Transport (up to 40 km from institution)
• Meal allowance (including incidental allowance)
• Book allowance
• Registration
• Tuition
• Funded students with disabilities need to submit claims for assistive devices and human support directly to the university’s Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS)/Financial Aid office.

Who qualifies for NSFAS allowances?

STUDENTS STAYING IN A RESIDENCE:
• Books up to a maximum of R5 200
• Actual accommodation cost
• Meals (including incidental allowance) up to a maximum of R15 000

STUDENTS LIVING OFF CAMPUS IN FAMILY ACCOMMODATION

• Books up to a maximum of R5 200
• Meals (including incidental allowance) up to a maximum of R15 000
• Transport up to a maximum of R7 500

STUDENTS LIVING OFF CAMPUS IN ACCREDITED and NON-ACCREDITED ACCOMMODATION:

• Books up to a maximum of R5 200
• Private accommodation amount to a maximum of R34 400
• Meals (including incidental allowance) up to a maximum of R15 000

DISTANCE-LEARNING STUDENTS:

• Books based on the number of modules registered, up to a maximum of R5 200

Please note that students who were registered for the first time at a tertiary institution before 2018 are subject to a maximum NSFAS amount for the year. The maximum NSFAS amount for 2020 is R93 400.
According to NSFAS policy, payments must be made in the following order of priority if your qualifying NSFAS costs exceed the maximum amount:
1. Tuition
2. Books
3. Accommodation
4. Meals
5. Transport
This means that the amount by which you exceeded the maximum NSFAS amount must be deducted from your allowances, starting with the transport and meal allowances. Therefore, you might not receive the full allowances.

How will NSFAS allowances be paid?

NSFAS allowances will be paid in cash to the student via the Fundi system. Once the allowances are debited to your student class-fee account, you will receive an SMS message from Fundi to upload your banking details. Fundi will confirm your banking details and payment will follow.

Please note that no payments will be made to a third party.
You only need to upload your banking details once. If you experience any problems with uploading your banking details, please contact Fundi at 086 055 5544.

When will I receive my NSFAS allowances?

NSFAS allowances will be paid during the first week of each month over a period of 10 months. Please note that due to several variables, a specific date for payment cannot be provided.

How do I apply for NSFAS private accommodation?

Please visit the UFS website for a complete guide:
Students
Financial Aid

When will I receive my private accommodation payment?

You must apply online for your private accommodation. It is compulsory to upload your rental agreement and proof of home address. If your private accommodation application is approved by the 25th of a month, you will receive payment from your move-in date up to date during the first week of the following month, and thereafter you will receive your monthly payments until November.

How will I know if my private accommodation application status has changed?

You will immediately receive an email on your ufs4life email address when your status changes.

What should I do if my private accommodation application is incomplete?

Please log in on your Student Self-Service. The reasons for your incomplete application will be listed under your private accommodation application. Please correct the application and resubmit. Please do not resubmit if the application was not corrected.
Please visit the website for clear explanations on the reasons for incomplete applications if you are unsure of what is expected of you.

Please note that no payment will be made before your private accommodation application is approved.

When is the closing date for NSFAS private accommodation applications?
The closing date for private accommodation applications is 11 September 2020. Please note that no extension will be granted.

News Archive

R2,5 million received from FNB Fund for Universal Access and Disability Support

2017-10-18

Description: FNB CUADS Funding Tags: FNB CUADS Funding
Tinotenda Magaya (left at the back), Robert Shoba and
Manus van Rooyen are some of the CUADS students
who will benefit from the money donated by the FNB Fund.
In front are Martie Miranda (left), Head of CUADS, and
Thandeka Rantsi from the FNB Fund.
Photo: Jóhann Thormählen

Funding isn’t only about giving money to provide access to education. There are many factors that contribute to the successful completion of studies, and this is even more applicable to students with disabilities.

That is why the FNB Fund decided to continue and further its relationship with the Center for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) at the University of the Free State (UFS). The fund recently donated nearly R2.5 million for 2017, 2018, and 2019 to CUADS in order to assist students with tuition fees, study material, accommodation and supportive devices.

A total of 11 students will benefit from the R 2 497 440. The UFS previously received R200 000 (2014), R238 000 (2015), and R192 500 (2016) from the FNB Fund.

“The FNB Fund would like to take it
a step further and not only provide
access in terms of funding, but also
provide all the support that
students require to be able
to complete their studies.”

Funders should be aware of challenges

“The FNB Fund would like to take it a step further and not only provide access in terms of funding, but also provide all the necessary support that students require to be able to complete their studies,” says Thandeka Rantsi from the FNB Fund.

The fund also partners with disability units from the University of Stellenbosch, the University of the Western Cape, and the University of Cape Town.

Rantsi says funders should be aware of the challenges students with disabilities face in order to provide the right support as their challenges are more extensive.

More flexible funding than others

Martie Miranda, Head of CUADS, says they are very grateful. “In comparison with other funding, this funding provides more flexibility. Because of the gap between government funding and students’ needs, there are always students who fall out of the criteria for the NSFAS bursary. Then the FNB funding comes in very handy.”

According to her, government funding is never enough. She says the FNB funding enables them to address specific needs such as equipment, accommodation etc. as they have more leeway than prescribed NSFAS amounts.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept