The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has always been a paramount institution in assisting South African students taking a higher education course. For the year 2025, NSFAS has scheduled allowances for students that cater for different needs. Thus, it is very important to know about these allowances for proper financial planning.
Approved Allowance Caps for 2025
Allowance caps for the academic year of 2025 have been finalized by NSFAS, so students can be sure to get sufficient support. In detail, allowance caps include:
- Accommodation: Rs 65,993 for students accommodated in catered residences in the metros and Rs 56,633 for non-metros.
- Living Allowance: A living allowance of Rs 17,160 is granted to eligible students.
- Transport Allowance: Students are granted Rs 8,190 for transport needs.
- Books Allowance: Rs 5,678 per annum is set aside for new books and learning materials.
- Personal Care Allowance: Students lodged in catered residences get Rs 3,167 for personal care.
- Disability Support: Support is available for disabled students who require human support and assistive devices, with allowances of up to Rs 54,080.
Payment Schedules and Disbursement
The second upfront payment to universities was made in the week of 3 March 2025, enabling institutions to disburse March allowances to students before Friday, 7 March 2025. Payments are made for valid registrations received from the institutions.
Payments for TVET students were also released starting from 7 March 2025 for a two-month allowance and subject to submission of valid registration data by the respective colleges.
Importance of Updated Registration and Banking Details
Allowance payments cannot be made if the student’s registration is not verified and submitted correctly by their institution; therefore, students should ensure that their registration data is submitted on time.
In addition, they should ensure that their banking details on the myNSFAS portal are updated to enable payments to be done directly. Students can access detailed information updates on the official NSFAS website or in their respective institutions.