NSFAS covers more than tuition. Alongside the fees paid directly to your institution, funded students receive allowances that are meant to cover the cost of actually living while you study — food, materials, and in many cases accommodation and transport.
How much you receive is not a single national figure. It depends on whether you study at a public university or a public TVET college, where you live, and how your institution handles disbursement. This guide breaks down each allowance type for 2027.
University allowances in detail
Full content for this section is still being written. In the meantime, the official criteria are published on www.nsfas.org.za.
TVET college allowances in detail
Full content for this section is still being written. In the meantime, the official criteria are published on www.nsfas.org.za.
Accommodation: what NSFAS pays and to whom
Full content for this section is still being written. In the meantime, the official criteria are published on www.nsfas.org.za.
Transport allowance: who qualifies
Full content for this section is still being written. In the meantime, the official criteria are published on www.nsfas.org.za.
When each allowance is paid
Full content for this section is still being written. In the meantime, the official criteria are published on www.nsfas.org.za.