New Government Funding Scheme For Missing Middle Students Through NSFAS
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande kept to the promise he made in November last year when he announced the launch of what has been called the comprehensive funding model for higher education.
To date students from what have been termed poor and working class families have been supported with full bursaries from NSFAS. However those who come from families with a combined household income of R350,001 per annum have not been able to access any formal support.
This has changed with the launch of this new scheme where loans will be available to students at university or TVET College where the family income is up to R600,000 per annum. The scheme will be administered by NSFAS and will offer similar benefits with tuition fees, accommodation and allowances paid. However NSFAS has said this will be in the form of a student loan, rather than a bursary.
However students who achieve higher than 70% in their studies and complete their courses within the prescribed period can have half of the amount written off.
Another difference to NSFAS is that the loans will be selective based on the courses students are studying. 70% of loans will go to students studying STEM subject (including commerce and entrepreneurial studies) with 30% going to students of the humanities.
Also these loans will be available to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Like other NSFAS financial support, the loans will only be for students registered at TVET Colleges or public universities and no funding will be available for those at private colleges or higher education institutions.
Students who are interested in the ‘missing middle’ loans should contact NSFAS for more details. Either visit their website of call their contact number.
- What is the Missing Middle?
- How to check your NSFAS status
- NSFAS Will Offer 31,000 Loans To Missing Middle Students
- Click here for more details on the launch of the scheme
- Login NSFAS
- NSFAS Status
- Apply for NSFAS
- My NSFAS
- NSFAS Portal
- Coinvest
- Tenet Technology
- Funding Eligible
- NSFAS Appeal
- NSFAS Missing Middle Loan
- NSFAS Login In
- My NSFAS Login
- NSFAS Consent Form For SARS
Click here for more details on who qualifies for these loans
- Interesting Reading: How To Apply For A Smart ID Card Online