How Much Does NSFAS Pay Per Month in 2027?

Keagan HendricksWritten by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)
Naledi KhumaloReviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

NSFAS pays for more than tuition. Funded students also receive allowances for accommodation, food, transport and learning materials, and knowing how much arrives each month makes it far easier to budget for the year. This page sets out the published allowance scale and how the payments work.

How NSFAS payments work

  • Tuition and registration fees are paid directly to the university or TVET college.
  • Accommodation is paid to the university residence or accredited private landlord.
  • The living, transport and personal-care allowances are paid to the student in monthly instalments over the ten months of the academic year, usually from February or March once registration is confirmed.
  • The learning-materials allowance is paid once at the start of the year.

NSFAS university allowances

  • Living allowance: R15 000 a year, or R1 500 a month over ten months.
  • Learning materials: R5 200 a year, paid once.
  • Transport: R7 500 a year for students living at home within 40 km of campus, instead of accommodation.
  • Personal care: R2 900 a year for students in catered residences.
  • Accommodation: the actual cost of university residence, or up to the capped rate for accredited private accommodation.

A university student in private accommodation therefore receives roughly R1 500 to R2 000 a month in cash, with rent and fees paid separately.

NSFAS TVET college allowances

  • Accommodation: R24 000 a year in urban areas, R18 900 in peri-urban areas and R15 750 in rural areas.
  • Transport: about R7 000 to R7 350 a year for students living at home.
  • Personal care: R2 900 a year.
  • Learning materials: paid once at the start of the year.

When NSFAS pays

  1. Your institution confirms your registration to NSFAS, usually in February.
  2. NSFAS verifies your bank details on myNSFAS. Wrong or missing details are the most common reason for late payments.
  3. The first allowance is paid, often including any months owed from the start of the year, and monthly payments follow until the end of the academic year.

Contact details

See the NSFAS requirements, the NSFAS first payment date and how to check your NSFAS allowance balance.

FAQs

1. How much does NSFAS pay per month? +
NSFAS does not pay one fixed monthly amount. It pays tuition and accommodation directly to the institution or landlord, and pays the living, transport and learning-material allowances to students in monthly instalments over the ten months of the academic year. A university student in private accommodation typically receives between R1 500 and R2 000 a month in cash allowances.
2. What are the university allowances? +
In the published scale: a living allowance of R15 000 a year (R1 500 a month over ten months), a learning-materials allowance of R5 200 paid once, a transport allowance of R7 500 a year for students living at home within 40 km of campus, and a personal-care allowance of R2 900 a year for students in catered residences. Accommodation is paid at the actual cost of university residence or up to the capped rate for accredited private accommodation.
3. What are the TVET allowances? +
Accommodation of R24 000 a year in urban areas, R18 900 in peri-urban areas and R15 750 in rural areas, or a transport allowance of about R7 000 to R7 350 for students living at home, plus a personal-care allowance of R2 900 and a learning-materials allowance.
4. When is the first payment? +
Allowances start once the institution confirms your registration and NSFAS receives your bank details, usually in February or March. The first payment often includes any months owed from the start of the year.
5. Will the amounts change for 2027? +
NSFAS reviews allowances each year after the national budget in February. The figures above are the last published scale; check nsfas.org.za and your myNSFAS account for the confirmed 2027 rates.
6. How is the money paid? +
Into the student's own bank account, or through the institution's payment system where NSFAS has agreed that. Keep your bank details updated on myNSFAS to avoid delays.
Update note (checked September 2026): NSFAS reviews its allowances each year after the national budget in February, and the 2027 rates had not been confirmed when we checked. The figures below are the last published scale. Applications for 2027 opened on 18 September 2026 and close on 31 October 2026; confirmed 2027 amounts will appear on nsfas.org.za and in your myNSFAS account.

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