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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

SADoCoL receives partial reinstatement of blood sample testing by the World Anti-Doping Agency
2016-08-22

Last week, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced the lifting of the suspension of blood sample analysis by the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) at the University of the Free State (UFS). Although the suspension of urine sample analysis is still under review, the UFS is appreciative of the new outcome. The initial temporary suspension of SADoCoL, announced on 3 May 2016, included the suspension of all doping-control procedures which applied to both urine and blood samples.

The main reason for the suspension involved analytical techniques relevant to urine analysis; however, the testing of blood samples was also included in the suspension. At the time of the suspension, no adverse findings were reported for the laboratory in relation to blood-sample testing for Athlete Blood Passport (ABP) assessment. 

According to the agreement with WADA, the suspension period would be utilised to implement and test new systems in order to achieve the standard presently required by WADA, as well as to perform development and improvements. SADoCoL is a specialised service laboratory of the UFS and has been in existence for more than thirty years.

Upon SADoCoL’s request to lift the suspension of only the ABP analysis, WADA agreed to allow the laboratory to apply for reaccreditation.  SADoCoL immediately applied for reaccreditation of ABP analysis on blood, so that the laboratory would be allowed to at least offer this service to the Anti-Doping community in Africa.

For this purpose, inspections were performed by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) and by WADA, during which all aspects of blood analysis by the laboratory were thoroughly assessed and tested.  The successful outcome of these inspections resulted in the reaccreditation of SADoCoL by WADA in order to perform ABP analysis as required by the WADA International Standard for Laboratories, with effect from 4 August 2016. 

This outcome allows the laboratory to once again perform this very essential analytical procedure.  The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) and other regular users can now continue to send blood samples to SADoCoL for ABP analysis, instead of making use of alternative laboratories.

 

Released by: Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Tel: +27 51 401 3422/2707 or +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za  | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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