The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provides comprehensive bursaries and student loans to deserving learners enrolled in approved courses at universities and TVET colleges. These bursaries cover tuition and registration fees, as well as several allowances for food, accommodation, and learning materials.
After the Higher Education Minister, Nobuhle Nkabane, announced that NSFAS allowances for 2025 will be increased, University students might be wondering how much NSFAS allowance payments for May 2025 will be.
NSFAS allowances are divided into 10 payments every year. NSFAS allowance payments are then only made from February until November.
NSFAS Allowances For University Students In May 2025
Nkabane has confirmed that NSFAS allowances for universities will increase by 4% in 2025. NSFAS has now confirmed the exact amounts and here's what university students can expect to receive in May 2025:
Learning Materials Allowance
This allowance is paid once-off at the beginning of the year. Once it's paid for the year, it won't be paid again. For 2025 students will receive a Learning material allowance as follows:
- Students living in a Catered residence: R5 678
- Students living in a Non-catered residence: R5 678
- Students with disabilities living on residence: R6 240 (Catered and Non-catered)
- Students who receive a transport allowance: R5 678
- Students with disabilities who receive a transport allowance: R6,240
Accommodation Allowance
This allowance is paid monthly, for 10 months. Students who don't receive this allowance will receive a transport allowance.
- Students living in a Catered residence (Metro): R6 599
- Students living in a Catered residence (Non-metro): R5 663
- Students living in a Non-catered residence (Metro): R5 200
- Students living in a Non-catered residence (Non-metro): R4 264
- Students with disabilities living in a Catered residence (Metro): R6 963
- Students with disabilities living in a Catered residence (Non-metro): R6 027
- Students with disabilities living in a Non-catered residence (Metro): R5 200
- Students with disabilities living in a Non-catered residence (Non-metro): R4 264
Living Allowance
This allowance is paid monthly, for 10 months. Only specific categories of students, listed below, receive this allowance.
- Students with disabilities living in a Catered residence (Metro): R1 716
- Students living in a Non-catered residence (Non-metro): R1 716
- Students with disabilities living in a Non-catered residence (Metro): R2 080
- Students with disabilities living in a Non-catered residence (Non-metro): R2 080
- Students who receive a transport allowance: R1 716
- Students with disabilities who receive a transport allowance: R2 080
Travel Allowance
This allowance is paid monthly, for 10 months. Students who receive a transport allowance, both able-bodied students and students with disabilities will receive a transport allowance of R819 in May 2025.
Personal Care Allowance
This allowance is paid monthly, for 10 months. Only students who live in catered residences receive this allowance which is around R316 per month.
NSFAS Loans
Students who are funded with a NSFAS loan only receive an accommodation allowance and a learning materials allowance.
How University NSFAS Allowance Payments For May 2025 Will Be Made
During the second half of 2024, NSFAS made the announcement that they will no longer use the NSFAS Bank Account and instead said that university allowances will be paid to students through universities.
Allowances of students will be paid based on an approved NSFAS payment channel.
NSFAS planned for allowances for university students to be paid directly to their personal bank accounts. NSFAS has however been unable to put this in place due to an ongoing court case.
Universities will continue to pay allowances to students directly in 2025, until NSFAS announces a change in the payment strategy. Universities will have different ways of making these payments and it is important that students consult their financial aid offices at their institutions to find out what steps to take next to secure their allowances.
