NSFAS commits to early allowance payments and provides 2026 application update

As February marks the beginning of the 2026 tertiary academic year, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) said it had successfully disbursed R3.6 billion to universities for student allowance payments.

With millions of students relying solely on the scheme for financial support, NSFAS highlighted its commitment to ensuring that allowances are paid early in the year during a media briefing on Thursday.

“NSFAS committed at the start of February 2026 that R3.6 billion would be disbursed to universities for allowance payments, while R679 million was disbursed to TVET colleges for tuition payments,” said Acting NSFAS CEO Waseem Carrim.

The start of the academic year is often marked by delayed allowance payments, leaving many students stranded and financially vulnerable.

The funding scheme said it has put measures in place to ensure funded students have accommodation for the full academic year, with residence opening and closing dates carefully aligned to the university calendar.

“This alignment ensures that students are not left stranded at any point during the academic year and supports a seamless transition into residence for all eligible students,” Carrim said.

Carrim also provided an update on the 2026 application process.

Over 660 000 applicants have already been approved by the scheme, while 85 600 applications are still undergoing verification.

He stressed that for applications to be processed smoothly, students must submit clear and correct supporting documents.

“NSFAS encourages students to submit clear and correct copies of the documents requested. This helps to speed up the verification process,” Carrim said.

He further explained that students who are not beneficiaries of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) are required to submit a consent form.

“This form is used to obtain permission from an applicant’s parents or guardians to access third-party data sources in order to verify household income,” Carrim explained.