The NSFAS is planning to distribute its allowances to eligible students for the 2023 academic year. You can read all the details here. A new allocation of allowance funding has been announced for the 2023 academic year by officials from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
How Much Does NSFAS Pay For Accommodation?
The Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, estimates that Nsfas will spend R47.6 billion on funding allocations in 2023.Inflation-adjusted allowances have been included in this year’s NSFAS budget.
As part of its student aid program, Nsfas offers an allowance system that covers many of the additional costs that come with higher education, such as accommodation and textbooks.Bursary recipients are eligible to receive student allowances for expenses associated with their studies.
As soon as academic activities resume, NSFAS beneficiaries receive their monthly student allowances. Students receive these allowances in cash, whether directly from their Nsfas wallet or through their institutions.
He also announced that university students will receive an accommodation allowance valued at R61,500 and a learning material allowance of R5,460 per year.
Additionally, the number of students eligible for funding is expected to increase by 7%.
Students studying less than 60 course credits toward their qualification, as well as distance university students, are eligible only for learning materials allowances starting in 2023.
Personal care allowance of R3,045 is available to distance university students who study an equivalent full-time course load. One academic year must consist of 120 course credits for the student to qualify.
In order to cover food and other expenses, Nsfas-funded students who do not live in catered residences will always receive a living allowance. According to the 2019 budget, the personal care allowance will be R3,045 and the meal allowance will be R12,705.
Travel allowances and accommodation allowances are available to students.
There will be a cap of R45,000 per academic year for all institutional, leased, and private accommodation. In the future, NSFAS or institutions will be required to pay private accommodation allowances directly to private accommodations providers.
In order to ensure that all university accommodations (private and public) provide adequate living conditions for students, they will be accredited based on the Minimum Norms and Standards For Student Housing (MNSFSH).
Nsfas or an institution will verify the rental rate for any accommodation that does not meet the MNSFSH criteria.
NSFAS in Clause 7.2.4 defines the following criteria for rationing the maximum allowance for accommodation that does not meet MNSFSH criteria:
- Accommodation allowances are not available to students living with immediate family or relatives. Rather than receive a travel allowance, these students will instead receive a travel allowance, up to a maximum of R7,875 in 2023.
- Up to R45,000 per year is available to students living in institution-owned or leased accommodation.
- The maximum accommodation allowance for students living in institution-catered housing is R60,750 per year (which includes living allowance and personal care).
- It is up to Nsfas to accredit institutions offering private accommodations.
- In cases where Nsfas has placed processes in place to take over accreditation, Nsfas will provide a three-month notice to institutions.
- In order to determine NSFAS-funded students’ accommodation rental, NSFAS will develop a grading system.
- Private accommodation will be verified by NSFAS in order to ensure costs are in line with quality and meet MNSFSH guidelines.
- If a student in need of private housing is not placed in an accommodation by the institution, he or she can apply directly to NSFAS in 2023.
- In cases where the student applied directly to Nsfas for private accommodation, Nsfas will facilitate the signing of a lease agreement on the student’s behalf and ensure direct payments to the landlord.
- Per academic term, students can only receive one type of accommodation allowance.
Students attending universities are entitled to a learning material allowance, which is set at a maximum amount of R5,460 for the academic year 2023.Students must use the learning material allowances to purchase academic books and materials and/or a learning device. Each student is entitled to one allowance per academic year.
A If the student does not already own a digital learning device (such as a laptop), they are required to purchase one during their first year of study with Nsfas financial aid.Institutions can opt out of NSFAS acquiring devices on behalf of their beneficiaries, but they can apply for exemption.Distance education students receive an allowance based on how many courses they are enrolled in up to R5,460.
In order to purchase digital devices, NSFAS mandates that FTEN students use part or all of the learning material allowance.
The student is responsible for any insurance, maintenance, and/or repairs of the computer equipment, or data.Being a distance university, Unisa students experience University in a different way from other universities. NSFAS-funded students at Unisa receive only Learning Materials Allowances and Living Allowances.
A Learning Material Allowance is calculated according to how many modules you have registered for. For the first four modules, Unisa students will receive R600 and for the fifth to tenth modules, they will receive R5,460 once-off.
Accordingly, if R5200 Learning Materials Allowance is paid for the first five modules, additional modules will not receive Learning Materials Allowance.
NSFAS is a government loan and bursary program for students. The deadline for applying and registering for NSFAS is usually in the next calendar year; students may apply and register later in the year.
Bursaries are given by NSFAS to students from poor or working class backgrounds that are more than just fees. As part of the NSFAS allowance, they will also cover your registration, accommodation, transportation, and books.