Applications for 2021 National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding have opened, the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation has announced.
The system went live on Monday and is expected to run for four months, closing on 30 November.
The department said the application process would be online via the myNSFAS portal as it had been done in previous years, adding the portal had undergone minor enhancements and changes following lessons learned from previous application cycles.
The changes are for user experience and others for security.
“In the current academic year, NSFAS has funded over 700 000 students; 248 242 at TVET colleges and 481 339 at universities [students with registrations data], this is a 20% increase from the previous year when we compared registration data received in the same period 2019 versus 2020,” Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said in a statement.
He added NSFAS beneficiaries accounted for 40% of the undergraduate population at universities, and 70% at TVET colleges.
New applicants will need a copy of their IDs or birth certificates to register and create a profile on the myNSFAS portal, while existing users would need to log in using their registered details.
Due to Covid-19, applicants will also not be required to submit or upload consent forms but would need to accept and submit an electronic one.
Applicants would, however, still be expected to submit their supporting documents which include parents or guardians’ proof of income and cope of their IDs.
As part of the new and exciting innovations, NSFAS was working on finalising its virtual outreach project, the department said.
It added that the virtual outreach platform would be an interactive live streaming session, where users could embark on a virtual tour of NSFAS products and services.
“This is the greatest innovation by far as it speaks to the current discussion around the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and how government can change lives by providing much-needed services in far and wide locations using technology. NSFAS is leading in this space,” Nzimande said.
He added NSFAS had also strengthened its partnership with the Department of Basic Education to further increase its footprint and reachability, specifically for pupils in grades 10 to 12.
Qualifying students have been urged to make use of the services and apply on time.
“While great work for the 2021 application cycle is underway, I want to reassure our current beneficiaries that the department, along with NSFAS, is working tirelessly ensuring that the 2020 academic year is saved and concluded to usher in the new academic year,” Nzimande said.
Source: https://www.news24.com/
