The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) opened applications for its 2027 funding cycle on Friday, with government promising a faster and more reliable system following months of institutional transition at the country’s biggest student funding body.
Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela announced that applications would remain open until 18 November 2026, while successful applicants are expected to receive funding outcomes in December, ahead of registration for the 2027 academic year.
Launching the application cycle at the Mining Qualifications Authority offices in Parktown, Johannesburg, Manamela said NSFAS had undergone significant institutional change during the past four months, moving from administration back to a board-led governance structure.
The changes were aimed at strengthening the organisation’s stability, governance and ability to provide financial assistance to students who depend on the scheme to enter and complete higher education and training, he said.
“The stability of NSFAS is not an end in itself,” Manamela said, stressing that each application represented a young person’s prospects of accessing further education.
The 2027 cycle will introduce several technological and administrative changes intended to address longstanding problems in the processing of student funding.
These include the direct extraction of student information from institutional systems, automated document verification, electronic document signing and a modernised student-support environment designed to improve response times.
Student registration and banking details will also undergo strengthened verification through collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs, according to the minister.
NSFAS has also been working to improve its appeals system following historical weaknesses, with the aim of providing clearer communication and ensuring appeals are processed according to defined rules and timelines.
The overhaul comes as demand for financial assistance continues to increase, with NSFAS recording a record number of applications during the 2026 funding cycle, Manamela said.
Government is also expanding its focus beyond traditional NSFAS bursaries to students in the so-called “missing middle”, whose household incomes are above the bursary threshold,y but who may still be unable to afford university costs.
Manamela said work had begun on a Loan Management System to strengthen the administration of loans for these students, as government seeks to establish an additional funding route for those who do not qualify for NSFAS bursaries.
“A young person should not be excluded from the opportunity to study simply because their household income falls just above a bursary threshold, yet they are still unable to meet the actual cost of education,” he said.
Unlike bursaries, funding provided under the missing-middle loan scheme is repayable according to applicable terms and conditions.
NSFAS will meanwhile send outreach teams into provinces, districts, rural areas, townships and marginalised communities to help prospective students who may struggle to access information or complete their funding applications.
Manamela urged prospective students not to confuse receiving NSFAS funding with gaining admission to a university or college, saying students must separately apply to their institutions of choice.
He also encouraged young people to consider public Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges, whose applications for the 2027 academic year remain open until 30 September 2026.
The minister urged applicants not to wait until the final NSFAS deadline, saying early applications would provide additional time to verify information, supply missing documents and seek assistance if difficulties arose.
“Do not wait until the closing date. Apply as early as possible,” Manamela said.
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