How long does NSFAS fund you? Are you planning on applying for NSFAS funding and do you want to know how long NSFAS will fund you for your tertiary education?
Or, you have already applied, gotten approved for funding and could not complete your qualification on time, and will still need NSFAS funding but don’t know how long NSFAS funds students?
Well, these and other related questions as to the number of years NSFAS funds students are mostly asked by students who need the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding for their university or tvet college education.
So, in this article, we’re going to explain in detail how long NSFAS funds you, what you can do to secure your NSFAS funding till you complete your qualification, etc.
We should therefore jump right into the topics.
How Long Does NSFAS Fund You?
The maximum number of years that NSFAS funds a student is 5 years. That’s if you qualify for the funding according to the requirements for the scheme. Also, the funding is based on the availability of funds for each academic year.
Usually, most degrees take about 3-4 years to complete and so, if you’re approved for NSFAS funding, you stand the chance to enjoy the funding till you complete your qualification.
With the exception of a few courses like medicine and law which may take longer than 4 years to complete, NSFAS will cover your funding for a maximum of 5 years.
NSFAS funds a student for a maximum of 5 years long.
universityonlineapplication.com
This long year of NSFAS funding includes the N+ 2 rule which states that a student will be given additional 2 years of funding in case he or she could not complete the qualification at the expected minimum number of years to complete his or her qualification.
Thus, if you fail to complete your qualification in 4 years, NSFAS will fund you with the additional years to make it the maximum 5 years of funding.
So, if you keep changing courses and for that matter, and you could not complete your qualification on time, NSFAS will have no option but to calculate the number of years left for you to exceed the maximum number of years of NSFAS funding.
If you have additional years left, you’ll be funded and if you could not complete the qualification, then you’ll have to cover your fees by yourself.
For example, if you’re doing a 4-year program but you failed to complete the course in 4 years as expected, NSFAS will fund you the additional 1 year so that, you complete your qualification in the 5th year base on the N+2 rule.
However, if you still could not complete your qualification with the additional 1 year of NSFAS funding, then NSFAS will no longer fund you again and you’ll have to pay for all your fees till you complete your qualification.
We do recommend that you read NSFAS N+2 Rule for the full explanation for clarity on how the NSFAS N+2 works.
Does NSFAS Fund For 5 Years?
Yes, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funds for 5 years. However, you must qualify for the funding including the N+ruel in order to maximize your NSFAs funding to 5 years.
If you fail in the process of your education, and you are disqualified for the funding, you’ll have to pay for your education after you have exceeded the 5 years long of NSFAS funding.
You should read How Many Modules Can You Fail With NSFAS for an in-depth clarity and understanding of the number of modules you can fail and still get NSFAS support.
Can NSFAS Fund You More Than 5 Years?
Yes, NSFAS funds students for their full education or course. Some courses like medicine take 5-7 years to complete and if you’re approved for NSFAS funding for that course, you’ll be fully funded.
However, if you’re not doing a 7 years course, NSFAS will apply the N+Rule immediately if you exceed your 5 years maximum of NSFAS funding.
You should read How Many Years Can NSFAS Fund You? for a detailed explanation.
Again, the answer to how long does NSFAS fund you is 5 years maximum.
We do hope this article on how long does NSFAS funds you was helpful?
www.nsfas.org.za is the webpage for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
You can ask your question in the comment.
