NSFAS 2027: how to apply before 31 October

Applications for 2027 funding close on 31 October 2026 at 23:59. Applying is free, it is online, and you can do it on your phone. If you will study at a public university or TVET college next year and your family may need help with fees, apply now, even before you have your results.

Who should apply

South African citizens who plan to study at a public university or TVET college in 2027 and whose household earns up to R350 000 a year (or up to R600 000 for an applicant with a disability). If someone in your household receives a SASSA grant, you qualify on income automatically and do not need proof of income. NSFAS checks eligibility itself, against Home Affairs, SARS and SASSA records, so if you are unsure, apply.

What you need before you start

Have clear copies ready. Photos taken on your phone are fine if every corner of the page is visible and the text can be read.

• Your South African ID number, cellphone number and your own email address. You use these to create your myNSFAS account.
• The consent form (everyone). It lets NSFAS check your details and those of your parent, guardian or spouse. Signed by you and by them.
• The declaration form if you are 34 or younger. It confirms your parent or guardian details.
• The disability annexure if you have a disability, signed by you and a medical practitioner, uploaded together with your medical report as one file.
• The orphan and vulnerable child declaration if you are under 18 and orphaned or a vulnerable child, completed by a social worker or an authorised official.

The forms are on the NSFAS website.

How to apply, in three steps

1. Create or open your myNSFAS account on the NSFAS website or the NSFAS app, with your ID number, cellphone number and email address.
2. Complete the application. Fill in your personal and household information, give consent and upload your documents. You can save and come back before you submit.
3. Submit and keep your reference number. Check your status on myNSFAS at any time. If NSFAS asks for a missing or unreadable document, sign in and upload it.

NSFAS funding does not get you a place at a university or college. Apply to your institutions as well.

Stay safe

• Never pay anyone to apply. Applying is free.
• NSFAS will never ask for your password or a one-time PIN (OTP).
• Use only the official NSFAS website and app.

Need help?

• NSFAS on WhatsApp: 0800 067 327
• USSD: dial *134*67327#
• Elite Scholars helps Grade 12 learners with university, bursary and residence applications: see Applications in your portal.

Elite Scholars is not part of NSFAS. This guide summarises NSFAS's own instructions; NSFAS's website is the final word.

Source: NSFAS, www.nsfas.org.za (dates, who can apply, income limits, SASSA, documents), read 7 October 2026.