NSFAS Allowances and Payment Guide 2025
The approved NSFAS allowance caps for the 2025 academic year have been finalized. This guide provides the official funding breakdown for university and TVET students, including living costs, accommodation, and key payment dates.
Table of Contents
Overview & Allowance Deviations
Pursuant to thorough discussions and consultation with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the approved allowance caps for 2025 have been finalized and are ready for implementation.
Should institutions see a need to deviate from the allowance caps, they must first obtain written approval from NSFAS before submitting any allowances above the provided caps.
Approved University Allowances (Annual Figures in Rands)
The table below outlines the approved allowance caps for the 2025 academic year for university students:
| Category | New Books (R) | Accommodation (R) | Living Allowance (R) | Travel Allowance (R) | Personal Care (R) | Human Support (R) | Assistive Device (R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNI Catered – Disability Metro | 6,240 | 69,633 | – | – | 3,167 | 52,000 | 54,080 |
| UNI Catered – Disability Non-Metro | 6,240 | 60,273 | – | – | 3,167 | 52,000 | 54,080 |
| UNI Catered – Metro | 5,678 | 65,993 | – | – | 3,167 | – | – |
| UNI Catered – Non-Metro | 5,678 | 56,633 | – | – | 3,167 | – | – |
| UNI Non-Catered – Disability Metro | 6,240 | 52,000 | 20,800 | – | – | 52,000 | 54,080 |
| UNI Non-Catered – Disability Non-Metro | 6,240 | 42,640 | 20,800 | – | – | 52,000 | 54,080 |
| UNI Non-Catered Metro | 5,678 | 52,000 | 17,160 | – | – | – | – |
| UNI Non-Catered Non Metro | 5,678 | 42,640 | 17,160 | – | – | – | – |
| UNI Disability Transport | 6,240 | – | 20,800 | 8,190 | – | 52,000 | 54,080 |
| UNI Transport | 5,678 | – | 17,160 | 8,190 | – | – | – |
| UNI Distance learning/UNISA | 660 per module (R5,678 Maximum) | – | – | – | 3,167 | – | – |
Approved TVET College Allowances (Annual Figures in Rands)
| Category | Accommodation (R) | Living Allowance (R) | Travel Allowance (R) | Personal Care (R) | Human Support (R) | Assistive Device (R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVET Catered – Disability Metro | 69,633 | – | – | 3,167 | – | 54,080 |
| TVET Catered – Disability Non-Metro | 60,273 | – | – | 3,167 | – | 54,080 |
| TVET Catered – Metro | 65,993 | – | – | 3,167 | – | – |
| TVET Catered – Non-Metro | 56,633 | – | – | 3,167 | – | – |
| TVET Disability Transport | – | 20,800* | 8,027 | – | – | 54,080 |
| TVET Non-Catered – Disability Metro | 52,000 | 20,800* | – | – | – | 54,080 |
| TVET Non-Catered – Disability Non-Metro | 42,640 | 20,800* | – | – | – | 54,080 |
| TVET Non-Catered Metro | 52,000 | 17,160* | – | – | – | – |
| TVET Non-Catered Non-Metro | 42,640 | 17,160* | – | – | – | – |
| TVET Transport | – | 17,160* | 8,027 | – | – | – |
*Note on TVET Living Allowances: These amounts are only applicable to students not in catered residence/accommodations.
2025 Payment Schedule & Timelines
Upfront Payments to Universities:
NSFAS released the second upfront payment to universities during the week of March 3, 2025, allowing institutions to disburse March allowances to students by Friday, March 7, 2025.
TVET College Payment Dates:
NSFAS released the initial payment from March 7, 2025, to cover two months’ worth of allowances, based on valid registrations received from the 18 TVET Colleges that had uploaded data by March 4, 2025.
A second payment run was prepared for Friday, March 14, 2025. The registration upload cut-off for this second payment was Monday, March 10, 2025, ensuring all students with valid registration data uploaded since the initial cut-off date received allowances in March 2025.
Registration Upload Timelines (Exclusions & Payment Dates):
Institutions must adhere to the following timelines when submitting registration data, cancellations, blocks, and other instructions to NSFAS:
| Installment # | Exclusions Cut Off Date | Payment Date | Academic Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upfront (10-Jan-25) | Upfront | Accommodation, Books & Tuition |
| 2 | Upfront (05-Mar-25) | Upfront | Accommodation, Books & Tuition |
| 3 | 14-Mar-25 | 31-Mar-25 | Annual and Semester |
| 4 | 16-Apr-25 | 30-Apr-25 | Annual and Semester |
| 5 | 15-May-25 | 30-May-25 | Annual and Semester |
| 6 | 13-Jun-25 | 30-Jun-25 | Annual and Semester |
| 7 | 15-Jul-25 | 31-Jul-25 | Annual and Semester |
| 8 | 15-Aug-25 | 29-Aug-25 | Annual and Semester |
| 9 | 15-Sep-25 | 30-Sep-25 | Annual and Semester |
| 10 | 15-Oct-25 | 31-Oct-25 | Annual and Semester |
| 11 | 14-Nov-25 | 28-Nov-25 | Annual and Semester |
Urgent Appeals & Registration Data
Call for Appeals Submission:
NSFAS urges all students who lodged an appeal for the 2025 academic year to urgently submit all required documents. A student must submit an appeal within 30 days of receiving their application results. Prompt submission will enable NSFAS to finalize funding decisions timeously.
Registration Upload Timeliness:
Following the confirmation of the 2025 allowance caps, the NSFAS portal is ready to receive valid registration data. Institutions are strongly encouraged to submit their registration data to avoid delayed payment of allowances to students.
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