NSFAS Appeal Process
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is calling for students whose applications were rejected or withdrawn, to lodge an appeal for 2024 financial aid.
What is an appeal?
An appeal is a formal request made by the applicant, for NSFAS to review their declined application, in the hopes there was an error and NSFAS will therefter fund them for the year. The student must submit their appeal within 30 days of receiving their declined application status.
To lodge an appeal, the first thing you must do is log into your myNSFAS profile and provide the relevant request information.
Who may lodge an appeal?
Students may lodge an appeal to NSFAS if their application for financial aid has been rejected/ the financial aid for a continuing student has been withdrawn. It’s important to note that the decision of the outcome of the appeal will be subject to the organization’s budget availability, and appeals will only be considered for those students who have applied to NSFAS for Financial Aid.
Read all about NSFAS Funding here (including the latest news and articles).
Who may NOT lodge an appeal?
Students may not lodge an appeal if they:
- Are engaging in a qualification that NSFAS does not fund
- Have obtained an N+2 (N+3 for students living with disabilities)
- Are in a gap year and had NSFAS previously deny them, due to the student not meeting the academic eligibility criteria
- Are at an institution that has not submitted their registration record to NSFAS (in this instance, queries should be made by the student to the institution)
- Are at an institution that has submitted submitted the incorrect registration records to NSFAS (in this instance, queries should be made by the student to the institution)
What are some of the reasons for lodging an appeal?
1. Exceeding the income threshold:
If you are a student who exceeds the income threshold, your appeal will be considered if:
- The financial circumstances of your household income have changed since you first submitted your application to NSFAS. It is important hat if you find yourself in this circumstance, that you provide ample evidence to NSFAS when you lodge your appeal
- The breadwinner of your household has become incapacitated/ deceased since you submitted your application
- You have been declared independent of your biological parents by the court and it is determined that they are no longer responsible for your application/ maintenance (this includes the cost of your education)
- You are from a child headed household, which has been proved by a submitted report of a Department of Social Development by registered social worker
- Your parents are divorced and in terms of the divorce decree, the court has decided that the responsibility of child maintenance (including the cost of your education) is only provided by one parent who meets the financial eligibility criteria
2. Failing to meet the academic eligibility:
If you are a student who failed to meet the academic eligibility criteria, your appeal may be considered if:
- You are a continuing student who was not a FTN/ FTEN student in your previous academic term AND you failed to complete your academic term due to a severe illness that exceeded two months of your a anemic term/ examinations
- You have experienced a death with an immediate family member during your academic term
- You have been subject to a violent crime (such as rape or abuse)
- You have fallen pregnant and given birth during your academic term with your institution evaluating you and completing the NSFAS standard propensity letter (this propensity letter acts as confirmation that you will complete your qualification within an additional academic term)
- You are living with a disability and have a medical report, proving that you were unable to complete your academic term due to the nature of your disability. As such, the institution has also evaluated you and has completed the NSFAS standard propensity letter, ensuring that you will complete your relevant qualification in an additional academic term
- You can provide evidence that the academic results received by NSFAS was incorrect
How do you submit an appeal?
- Login to your MyNSFAS account
- Click on the ‘Track Funding Progress’ portal
- Click on the application progress tabs
- If you receive an unsuccessful message for your application status, you can then submit an appeal by clicking the ‘Submit Appeal Tab’
- Once on the ‘Application Appeal page’, you will then be provided with a reason for your unsuccessful application status
- Next, choose the appeal reason
- Be sure to upload certified supporting documents that can support your reason for an appeal
- Click on ‘Submit Appeal’
- You will now be able to track the progress of your appeal on your myNSFAS account
Please note that if you are a NSFAS applicant who wishes to lodge an appeal, you will also be required to download and complete a relevant propensity letter.
For queries, contact NSFAS:
Call: 080 006 7327 (this is a toll free number)
Email: info@nsfas.org.za
Read our other tips and articles here:
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Read our tips on how to write a bursary motivational letter here.
Read about how to prepare for a bursary interview here here.
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Read about the National Benchmark Test (NBT) for University Entrance.
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This post was last updated in May 2023.
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