The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provides comprehensive bursaries and student loans to deserving students enrolled in approved programmes at universities and TVET colleges. These bursaries cover tuition and registration fees, along with allowances for food, accommodation, and learning materials.
After Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane confirmed that NSFAS allowances will increase in 2025, many university students may be wondering what their NSFAS payments will look like in August 2025.
NSFAS allowances are paid over 10 months, from February to November each year.
NSFAS Allowances For University Students In August 2025
NSFAS has confirmed that allowances for university students will increase by 4% in 2025. Here’s what students can expect to receive in August 2025:
Learning Materials Allowance
This allowance is a once-off annual payment made at the beginning of the year. It will not be paid again after that. For 2025, the amounts are:
- Students in Catered residence: R5 678
- Students in Non-catered residence: R5 678
- Students with disabilities (Catered or Non-catered): R6 240
- Students receiving a transport allowance: R5 678
- Students with disabilities receiving a transport allowance: R6 240
Accommodation Allowance
This monthly allowance is paid for 10 months. Students who do not receive accommodation support will instead receive a transport allowance.
- Catered residence (Metro): R6 599
- Catered residence (Non-metro): R5 663
- Non-catered residence (Metro): R5 200
- Non-catered residence (Non-metro): R4 264
- Students with disabilities in Catered residence (Metro): R6 963
- Students with disabilities in Catered residence (Non-metro): R6 027
- Students with disabilities in Non-catered residence (Metro): R5 200
- Students with disabilities in Non-catered residence (Non-metro): R4 264
Living Allowance
Also paid monthly for 10 months, this allowance is available to specific categories of students:
- Students with disabilities in Catered residence (Metro): R1 716
- Students in Non-catered residence (Non-metro): R1 716
- Students with disabilities in Non-catered residence (Metro): R2 080
- Students with disabilities in Non-catered residence (Non-metro): R2 080
- Students receiving a transport allowance: R1 716
- Students with disabilities receiving a transport allowance: R2 080
Travel Allowance
Paid monthly over 10 months, the travel allowance for both able-bodied students and those with disabilities is R819 in August 2025.
Personal Care Allowance
This monthly allowance of R316 is paid for 10 months to students living in catered residences.
NSFAS Loans
Students funded through a NSFAS loan only receive a learning materials allowance and an accommodation allowance.
How NSFAS University Allowances Will Be Paid in August 2025
In the second half of 2024, NSFAS announced that it would no longer use the NSFAS Bank Account system. Instead, university allowances will now be paid directly through each institution.
Allowances will be disbursed based on an approved NSFAS payment channel.
Although NSFAS planned to deposit allowances directly into students' personal bank accounts, this has not been implemented due to an ongoing court case.
Universities will therefore continue to handle allowance payments in 2025. Each university may use a different process, so students are advised to consult their institution's financial aid office to ensure they receive their allowances.
