According to Nsfas, 49 538 applications were rejected for financial aid.
More than 1 million tertiary education students, including more than 600 000 first-time entrants, will be funded for the 2026 academic year.
This was confirmed by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) this week.
Nsfas said it had received 893 847 applications, of which 609 403 qualified for financial aid.
According to Nsfas, 49 538 applications were rejected for financial aid, while 218 043 applicants had incomplete applications, awaiting documents.
There were 16 863 withdrawn and cancelled applications.
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Missing docs
Nsfas said that those with missing documentation must submit it within 30 days of receiving their notices.
“First-time entering students who meet the financial eligibility criteria may still require confirmation of a valid acceptance from an institution of higher learning. In most cases, this confirmation will only be available once matric results are released,” said Nsfas.
There are just eight days left before Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gawarube announces the 2025 matric cohort’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) results on 12 January 2026.
Previously funded
Nsfas said 416 688 continuing students previously funded students met the academic progression criteria, while 129 264 students were discontinued from being funded because they failed to meet the criteria.
The figures only represent university students, as TVET results are released on 13 January 2026.
Rejected students
Rejected students, whether first-time entrants or continuing students, have the right to appeal the Nsfas decision.
Nsfas said for the 2025 academic year, it further streamlined its appeals process to ensure that every student is afforded a fair and equitable opportunity to have their application reconsidered.
“Upon receiving the outcome of their Nsfas application, students who wish to appeal are required to initiate the process promptly. The appeals window is open, and Nsfas will notify students of the outcome of their appeals on an ongoing basis.
“It is imperative that students submit all required supporting documentation as part of their appeal, as incomplete submissions cannot be processed,” Nsfas said.
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30-day window
Applicants are granted a strict 30-day window from the date of their outcome notification to provide the necessary documents and complete their appeal.
“Failure to submit the requisite documentation within this period will result in forfeiture of the appeal opportunity,” Nsfas said.
“Students are therefore strongly encouraged to prepare all relevant documents in advance and to adhere strictly to the prescribed deadlines, to ensure their appeals are considered in a timely manner without unnecessary delay.”
Outstanding claims
Nsfas said it has cleared many outstanding claims to higher education institutions and invoices to accommodation providers, adding that where short payments remain, it is “committed to working with accommodation providers to resolve these claims timeously and requests accommodation providers to lodge claims through the relevant Nsfas channels.”
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