If you are looking to apply for Nsfas and you are an R350 SRD grant beneficiary then you may be wondering if you’ll be able to qualify for the bursary scheme. Here is how the R350 grant may affect Nsfas.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) provides disadvantaged South African students with funding for their tertiary studies at public higher education institutions in the country.
Many disadvantaged people who apply for Nsfas may already be beneficiaries of the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant which is provided to unemployed individuals who have no source of income.
However, if you are an R350 grant beneficiary and you want to apply for Nsfas, once you’re approved for Nsfas, you’ll no longer qualify for the R350 grant.
This is because the R350 grant is for those who don’t receive any grants or UIF funds and Nsfas falls under the grant category which then results in Nsfas students not qualifying for the grant.
These R350 grant beneficiaries are able to apply for a Nsfas bursary if they are already receiving SRD grant payments. Should they meet the NSFAS requirements, they will be accepted even if they are an R350 grant beneficiary.
They will then however no longer qualify for the R350 grant and payments will stop once Sassa does its monthly reviews.
Their Sassa grant status check will read ‘Nsfas registered’ and they will be declined.
No person is able to receive both Nsfas funding and R350 grant payments.
Should you however be receiving any other SASSA grants besides the R350 grant, you will immediately qualify to be funded by Nsfas.
It is important to check the Nsfas requirements when you apply to see if you would qualify for the bursary scheme.
