Acting CEO of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Waseem Carrim launched the scheme’s online application system in Tshwane on Tuesday.
Carrim also announced that the 2026 application cycle was now open and students must start applying now instead of waiting for the end of the year.
A demonstration of how the new online application system works was conducted by NSFAS officials.
“The online application system means no paper work is needed and it is user-friendly for young people and the live demonstration shows the public at large and the students as to what NSFAS offers and also encourages students to apply for the 2026 cycle of funding,” said Carrim.
He announced that about 17 000 students have already applied for the 2026 cycle of funding and that 15 000 of them have already been provisionally funded.
“The 15th of November, which is the closing date for applications, is just around the corner and we would like to urge students to start applying now,” he said.
Carrim admitted that the NSFAS budget is under a lot of pressure but sending young people to school is the agency’s top priority and that the State will find mechanisms to make sure that all young people who deserve to go to university and college are enabled to do so.
Deputy Minister of the Department of Higher Education and Training Nomsa Ncube Dube was also present at the live demonstration of the online application system and she said the following:
“The Minister has presented our state of readiness for the 2026 academic year and indicated that all students who have been refunded or have not received funds that are due to them will be prioritised to make sure that all students who deserve to be funded do get funded.”
She urged students to not only register with universities but said some of them must register with TVET colleges because such colleges offer skills which create jobs and place students in positions whereby they can start their own businesses upon completing their studies and that this will deal decisively with issues of unemployment and unemployability, inequality and all other social ills bedeviling society.
“I’m so happy to be here and I have applied for next year and I hope to get the space and be approve by NSFAS,” Lebogang Maja grade 12 learner said.
“I applied for NSFAS and I want to be approve because my parents can’t afford to take me to university,” Michael Makwe grade 12 learner said.