Editor LauraAs a student, you may be wondering how long does NSFAS fund a student for. Well, the answer is that it depends on your qualification, but it is limited to 2 years max. So if you’re studying for a Bachelor’s degree, you will get funding from NSFAS for four years of study. But if you’re studying for a post-grad degree like an MBA or Master’s in Commerce (also known as MCom), then your funding will only last two years.
How Many Years Does NSFAS Fund A Student?
NSFAS funding will be provided for the normal duration of your approved qualification, which is usually three years. This means that you can expect to receive a maximum of six years’ funding if you have graduated from an NCEA Level 2 or 3 programme.
The government has said that it may change this policy in future, but for now it’s important to know what your options are if students want to complete their qualification after three years of study.
Postgraduate qualifications are limited to maximum funding for two years only.
Postgraduate qualifications are limited to maximum funding for two years only.
The maximum student loan debt under NSFAS that a student can have after completing studies is R60 000.00.
The minimum amount of available funding per year is R50 000, which may be increased to up to R60 000 if you are studying at a private institution or up to R70 000 if you are studying at a public institution.
You can get funded for a maximum of 2 years in your postgraduate studies
The maximum duration of your studies is normally determined by the qualification you wish to study. For example, a Bachelor of Arts student may be limited to up to four years while a Bachelor of Science student can complete an undergraduate degree in any field and continue on with their postgraduate studies until they reach their Master’s degree level.
The amount of funding you receive depends on how long it takes for your qualification to complete — this includes living costs, fees and other expenses such as travel costs (if required) or other training activities that are part of your course.
The funding provided by NSFAS does not include any loan repayments once this period has ended; however, if there has been outstanding debt when applying for further funding then it will be deducted from any additional funding received after completion
Closing
Students who qualify for postgraduate studies will generally be funded for two years only, after which they should have completed their qualification and found employment.