How to apply for NSFAS in 2027.

The NSFAS application process step by step

The application takes about an hour if you have your documents ready. Work through the steps in order and save the reference number you get at the end.

1. 1

   Create your myNSFAS profile

   Go to my.nsfas.org.za and create a profile. Enter your first names and surname exactly as they appear on your ID, your ID number (it becomes your username), and your own cellphone number and email. NSFAS checks these details with Home Affairs. No two applicants can use the same cellphone number or email, so do not use a parent's.

   Open the relevant tool →
2. 2

   Fill in the application form

   Add your personal, household and study details. Based on your answers, the portal shows you exactly which documents you need to upload.

4. 3

   Sign the consent form (unless your household gets a SASSA grant)

   The consent form lets NSFAS check your household income with SARS and credit bureaus. You, your parents or guardian, and your spouse if you have one, must all sign it. The 2026 form had to be signed by hand in black ink. For 2027 NSFAS is adding electronic signing, so follow the steps myNSFAS gives you. Without a complete, signed consent form NSFAS closes the application. SASSA grant recipients do not need it.

   Open the relevant tool →
5. 4

   Upload your documents

   Upload a clear copy of your ID (both sides of a smart ID card), your parents' or guardian's IDs, proof of income if the portal asks for it, and the Disability Annexure, Declaration form or Vulnerable Child Declaration if they apply to you. Copies no longer need to be certified.

6. 5

   Submit and keep your reference number

   Submit, then screenshot the confirmation page. If your status changes to Documents Missing, you have 30 days to upload what is missing or the application is marked unsuccessful.

   Open the relevant tool →
7. 6

   Apply for your place too

   NSFAS only funds students at public universities and TVET colleges, and first-time students need a confirmed place before funding is final. Apply to universities or colleges at the same time, and check each one's closing date.

   Open the relevant tool →

Documents you need

Have these ready before you start the form. Missing or expired documents are the single biggest reason NSFAS applications stall.

• A copy of your ID (or birth certificate). For a smart ID card, upload both sides. Copies no longer need to be certified. Affidavits and driver's licences are not accepted as ID.
• IDs of your parents, legal guardian or spouse. A legal guardian needs a court order. If your guardian does not have one, or a parent's details are unknown, use the NSFAS Declaration form instead.
• Proof of income, if the portal asks for it. The portal lists what it needs from you. NSFAS also checks income with SARS, so declare it accurately. Households on a qualifying SASSA grant do not need to prove income.
• Signed consent form (not needed for SASSA grant recipients). Signed by you and your parents, guardian or spouse. The 2026 form needed handwritten signatures in black ink. NSFAS says 2027 adds electronic signing, so follow the instructions on myNSFAS.
• Declaration form (if it applies to you). For applicants aged 34 or younger whose parent or guardian details need confirming. Signed by a Department of Social Development social worker or the principal of the school you last attended.
• Vulnerable Child Declaration (under 18 only, if it applies). Completed by a Department of Social Development social worker with a SACSSP registration number.
• Disability Annexure (if you have a disability). Completed by a registered health professional or your institution's disability unit, with the medical report merged into the same file. It raises the income limit to R600,000.

Income threshold and how it's tested

Households that got a Child Support, Foster Care or Care Dependency grant in the last three years meet the income test automatically and do not need the consent form. The SRD grant does not count.

Household earns R350,001 to R600,000? NSFAS also runs a missing middle loan (not a bursary) that covers tuition, books and accommodation, and that you repay once you are working.

Key dates

• 2027 applications open. Opened on 18 September 2026. Apply for free on myNSFAS or the NSFAS app.
• 2027 applications close. 31 October 2026, according to NSFAS's how-to-apply page, which says late applications will not be accepted. The Minister's launch speech gave 18 November 2026. Apply before 31 October to be safe.
• Public TVET college applications. Applications to public TVET colleges for 2027 close on 30 September 2026. This is your place at the college, and it is separate from NSFAS.
• Funding outcomes. The Minister said successful applicants will hear in December 2026. News reports of NSFAS's launch briefing give decisions by 30 November, appeals from 10 to 24 December and appeal outcomes by 9 January 2027, but NSFAS has not published this timeline in writing yet.
• Missing documents and appeals. You get 30 days to upload missing documents. In 2026 you had 30 days from your outcome to appeal. The 2027 appeal window may be shorter, so appeal as soon as you get your outcome.
• Allowance payments. Start once you have registered and your funding is confirmed. University students are paid through their university. TVET students are paid into their own bank account, which they capture and verify on myNSFAS.

Always confirm the exact application window for the 2027 cycle on nsfas.org.za before you start.

Common NSFAS mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• Waiting for 18 November. NSFAS's own website says 2027 applications close on 31 October 2026, and late applications are not accepted.
• Using a parent's or sibling's cellphone number or email. No two applicants can share them, and updates about your application go to that number.
• Typing your name differently from your ID. Use your first names and surname exactly as they appear on your ID.
• Leaving out a parent's or guardian's signature on the consent form, or not signing it the way myNSFAS asks. NSFAS closes applications without a complete consent form.
• Applying through a WhatsApp group or a website that is not nsfas.org.za. Only apply on myNSFAS or the official NSFAS app.
• Ignoring a Documents Missing status. You have 30 days to upload what is missing, or the application is marked unsuccessful.
• Uploading only the front of a smart ID card, or an affidavit or driver's licence instead of an ID.
• Paying someone to apply for you or to follow up. Applying is free, and NSFAS asks you to report anyone who charges.
• Missing the academic application. NSFAS only funds you once you have a place at a public university or TVET college.
• Not appealing a rejection. You can appeal on myNSFAS within 30 days of your outcome. Read the rejection reason first.