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South African education help portal

What does NSFAS cover? (tuition, accommodation, allowances)

If you’re approved for NSFAS funding, NSFAS can cover tuition and registration, and may also provide allowances (like accommodation, transport, living, and learning materials), depending on your institution type and your situation.

Official NSFAS pages:

⚠️ Amounts and rules can change by year. Always confirm on NSFAS official pages.

1) Tuition and registration fees

NSFAS can cover:

  • Registration fees
  • Tuition fees

This applies when you study at a public university or a public TVET college, if you meet NSFAS funding requirements.

2) Accommodation (if you qualify)

NSFAS may cover accommodation costs, such as:

  • University residence (on campus)
  • Accredited/private accommodation (when applicable)

Important: Accommodation usually needs to be accredited/approved (either by the institution or NSFAS rules).

3) Transport allowance (if you qualify)

If you live at home or travel to campus, NSFAS may provide a transport allowance (often linked to your distance from the institution).

Example rule used in NSFAS bursary scheme guidance: transport may apply for students within a set distance (e.g., “up to 40 km”).
(Always confirm the latest rules on the bursary scheme page.)

4) Living allowance / meal support (where applicable)

NSFAS may provide a living allowance to help cover day-to-day expenses.

5) Learning materials / book allowance

NSFAS may provide a learning materials or book allowance to help cover:

  • Prescribed textbooks
  • Learning materials required for your course

6) Personal care allowance (often for catered residences)

Some students (for example, students in catered residences) may qualify for a personal care/incidental allowance.

Common allowance examples (these can change)

NSFAS publishes allowance caps/guidance. A common bursary scheme reference includes allowance items such as:

  • Transport allowance (example cap used in scheme guidance)
  • Living allowance (example cap used in scheme guidance)
  • Book/learning materials allowance (example cap used in scheme guidance)
  • Personal care/incidental allowance (example cap used in scheme guidance)

For the latest caps and categories, use the official bursary scheme page: https://www.nsfas.org.za/content/bursary-scheme.html

Why two students may get different amounts

Your allowances can differ based on:

  • University vs TVET
  • Metro vs non-metro area (sometimes)
  • Catered vs non-catered residence
  • Accommodation vs transport qualification
  • Whether you are funded for that academic year and registered correctly

What to do if your allowance isn’t paid

  1. Confirm you are fully registered for the year at your institution
  2. Check your myNSFAS status: https://my.nsfas.org.za
  3. Check if your institution has an allowance process (many do)
  4. Contact your institution financial aid office if it’s still not showing

Smart next step: check your APS (university applicants)

Even with funding, you still need to meet programme entry requirements.

Try the APS Calculator.

Related NSFAS guides