The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has processed 893 847 funding applications for 2026 - prior to the start of the academic year.
“Of these, 593 981 applications (66.45%) were submitted by female applicants, reflecting the ongoing trend of strong female participation in tertiary education. Male applicants accounted for 299 866 applications (33.55%),” NSFAS Board Chairperson, Dr Mugwena Maluleke, said on Tuesday at a media briefing in Pretoria.
To date, 609 653 applications have been approved, with 203 731 applications currently in progress; 16 862 applications have been cancelled, and 49 568 have been rejected after rigorous review.
Among these applications, 520 545 applications are from South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries, and 2 551 applications are from students with disabilities.
“First-time entry students accounted for 766 232 applications, while 125 157 applications came from senior students. In terms of age distribution, we received 428 632 applications from a range of teenagers, 417 823 from individuals in their twenties, 42 186 from those in their 30s, 4 585 from individuals in their 40s, and 621 from applicants aged 50 and above,” Maluleke said.
All funding decisions for 2026 were completed by 31 December 2025.
The initial release for first-time entering students took place on 15 December 2025, and universities are now able to access funding lists.
“NSFAS has streamlined the appeals process for 2026. The appeals window opens immediately as application outcomes are communicated, with the final deadline for appeals set for 14 January 2026. Outcomes will be communicated by 16 February 2026. Students must submit all supporting documentation within 30 days of their outcome notification,” Maluleke said.
Allowance distribution arrangements
Maluleke said university-led allowance distribution will be extended through 2026.
“Monthly remittance returns must be submitted to NSFAS detailing students paid, types of allowances, and dates of payment.
“Equally important is that accommodation allowances for students in private accommodation will be paid directly to accredited providers, who must enter into legitimate agreements with student occupants,” he said.
NSFAS is implementing a transitional framework designed to facilitate the shift towards a more centralised, transparent, and student-focused accommodation system.
In alignment with this initiative, all higher education institutions and private accommodation providers are required to adopt the new framework to ensure a seamless process for the allocation and management of accommodation for both new entrants and returning students.
“As part of this transition, all accommodation dates -- including opening, closing, move-in, and move-out periods -- will be intrinsically aligned with the academic calendar to prevent students from being stranded at any point during the academic year.
“We are upgrading the accommodation portal to enable students to apply for accommodation, track their application status, accept offers, and log maintenance issues, all within a single platform.
“Furthermore, the portal will be integrated with institutional student management systems to facilitate automatic verification of student registration and NSFAS eligibility,” Maluleke said.
In addition, NSFAS will introduce a robust data-driven reporting and reconciliation process, ensuring clear and timely reconciliation between NSFAS and accommodation providers.
“This will guarantee prompt payment to providers, thereby encouraging their continued participation in the scheme. The upgraded system will generate monthly occupancy and payment reports directly from the central platform,” Maluleke said.
NSFAS will also explore the implementation of an in-house accommodation payment functionality, transferring the payment process from portal providers directly to NSFAS.
“This enhancement will strengthen financial management and improve the reconciliation of funds disbursed to accommodation providers and students, eliminating the need for third-party payment processing and ensuring greater efficiency and accountability,” Maluleke said.
On 1 February 2026, NSFAS will issue an upfront payment covering the full book allowance and one month of meal, accommodation, personal care, and travel allowances.
In this regard, universities will be responsible for ensuring correct disbursement to eligible students.
TVET colleges
To support effective cash flow at the commencement of the 2026 academic year, NSFAS will advance tuition upfront payments to TVET colleges on 31 January 2026.
“The upfront payment will be calculated at 20% of each college’s 2025 tuition allocation. All subsequent tuition payments will be processed based on the submission of valid and verified registration data,” Maluleke said.
The myNSFAS Manager Portal is now open for 2026 registration data uploads.
Beneficiaries at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges will continue to receive their allowances directly into their personal bank accounts.
“Colleges are required to ensure that students capture and verify their banking details accurately on the NSFAS portal, as payments will not be made to third-party or institutional accounts.
“NSFAS has communicated a comprehensive schedule to TVET colleges, detailing all tuition and allowance payment dates, as well as registration upload and cut-off deadlines for the 2026 academic cycle,” the Chairperson said.
He emphasised that it is essential colleges submit complete and up-to-date student registration data, including any changes relating to cancellations, dropouts, de-registrations, and other enrolment updates, by the specified deadlines.
“Registration and student status updates must be managed as a continuous monthly process to ensure accurate funding administration and to prevent incorrect payments or future recoveries.
“Further, the 2026 registration template has been enhanced to allow colleges to indicate students’ accommodation types and participation in occupational programmes, thereby streamlining verification processes and the distribution of funds,” Maluleke said.
Any changes to student registration data must be made only during the designated adjustment periods, which will be announced by NSFAS and are subject to budget availability. - SAnews.gov.za
