NSFAS Status Check 2025

 

Now that NSFAS applications have closed for the year (as of 15 December 2024), you are probably wondering what the status is of your application and whether you will be receiving funding to study in 2025.

We know that waiting for feedback can be nerve-wracking, and we want to help you by instucting you how to check your NSFAS status and help you understand your application status. Whether you’re a first-time applicant or renewing your funding, we’ve got you covered.

This article provides a simple guide to checking your NSFAS status, ensuring you stay informed every step of the way.
 

How to check your NSFAS status

Step 1: visit your myNSFAS page and input your email address, ID number and password to login.

Step 2: complete the CAPTCHA to verify your identity.

Step 3: you will now be able to check your application status, by clicking on the “Track Application Progress” or “Application Status” tab.

Step 4: finally, you should see one of these statuses:

• Application Submitted: this means NSFAS has received your application and it is being processed – there is no further action you need to take.
• Documents Missing: this means your application is missing 1 or more documents – make sure you submit the required documents so that your NSFAS application may be processed.
• Under Review: this means your application is being reviewed by NSFAS, to ensure you meet all the criteria – there is no further action you need to take.
• Approved: this means your application has been approved – congratulations, you will receive your funding for 2025.
• Rejected: this means your application has been rejected as you did not meet all of the criteria, and there will be a reason why you were rejected. If you believe you were incorrectly denied, as you did meet the criteria, you can submit an appeal to have your application reassessed. Remember, you can also apply for bursaries if your NSFAS application was rejected – find all Bursaries OPEN for application here.

Step 5: if you application is still pending, you should continue to check your status regularly.
 

What review checks does NSFAS do?

NSFAS reviews all applications, wherein they confirm the following details (this can be indicated by a “Application in Progress” status): Student type outcome (FTEN/ Senior/ Continuing), SASSA indicator, disability indicator, application type outcome (Active/ Automated/ Hybrid), DHA relations (Mother/ Father/ Spouse/ Guardian) – there is no further action you need to take.

Before any application can be approved, NSFAS also has to verify all information and documentation submitted (this can be indicated by a “Verification” status): Unverified parent/ spouse/ guardian details, NSFAS consent form, NSFAS disability annexure, Application type outcome (Active/ Automated/ Hybrid), NSFAS orphan/ vulnerable child form.
 

What is NSFAS “verification”?

If your status shows “verification”, you may then also see the following status on your NSFAS profile:
Awaiting verification – this means NSFAS is checking if your application has been completed correctly.
Awaiting documents – this means you have documents outstanding which you need to submit.
Verification completed.
Case closed – you failed to submit the outstanding supporting documents within 30 days and your application could now be rejected.
NSFAS Orphan/ Vulnerable Child Declaration form – this must be completed if you are under 18 years old and are an orphan OR you are a vulnerable child having been exposed to abuse, neglect, exploitation, risk of violence and substance abuse. Download the form here.
 

What does it mean if NSFAS is requesting financial and academic data?

If you see the status “Requesting Financial and Academic Data” on your myNSFAS platform, it means that NSFAS is waiting for data to be confirmed and thereafter assessed in terms of the financial and academic eligibility.

If NSFAS is “Assessing Financial Eligibility”, it means NSFAS is assessing your application against the following: SARS data, Exceptions data, Credit Bureau data, Declared household income data.

If NSFAS is “Awaiting Academic Results”, it means your application is being evaluated for academic eligibility criteria but there are academic results still outstanding.

If NSFAS is “Assessing Academic Eligibility”, it means NSFAS is currently evaluating your application in terms of Academic eligibility criteria and/or TVET and University N+ rule.

If your myNSFAS platform indicates “Duplicate”, it means your application was submitted for the same cycle as another submission cycle. Students should note the following cycles and only apply once per cycle:
Cycle 1 is annually, trimester 1 and semester 2.
Cycle 2 is trimester 2 and semester 2.
Cycle 2 is semester 3.
 

What does it mean to be “Provisionally Funded” by NSFAS?

This status means your application has passed all the necessary checks and you have meet the funding criteria. The last step to being successfully funded is to be registered at an approved institution, and subject to the availability of funding.

If your myNSFAS platform indicates “Registration Received”, it means your application has passed all the necessary checks, you have meet the funding criteria and NSFAS has received your institutions registration.
 

Why does myNSFAS indicate “Cancelled Application”?

Seeing this status means the student has cancelled their NSFAS application submission.

Lastly, if you did not receive funding, you will see a “Rejected” status and the reason for the rejection.
 

What can I do if I did not receive NSFAS funding?

NSFAS is not the only means to fund your studies, there are other options open to you, including:
Student loans, which will have to be paid back after graduation, and are offered by most major banks – find out more about student loans here.
Bursaries, which are usually awarded based on financial need and academic merit. These do not have to be paid back, but many do require students to complete paid work after their studies are completed – find out more about bursaries open for application here.