How Does NSFAS Work At Unisa?

At Unisa, NSFAS pays tuition and registration directly to the university, and pays allowances to Unisa, which then pays students. Because Unisa is a distance university, students do not receive meal or accommodation allowances; NSFAS said in July 2026 that Unisa students get only the book (learning material) allowance and the personal care allowance. Source: NSFAS statement, July 2026.

What Unisa students receive

Item	How it works
Tuition and registration	Paid directly to Unisa
Learning material allowance	Per module registered; Unisa lists R660 per module for the first four modules, or R5,678 for five or more
Personal care (incidental) allowance	Monthly, for students with a full-time load; Unisa lists R316.70 a month for 10 months for 10 or more modules
Meals and accommodation	Not paid to Unisa students

Rules specific to distance students (NSFAS 2026 criteria)

• Students registered for less than 60% of a full year’s credits receive only the learning material allowance.
• A one-semester registration halves the learning material allowance.
• The learning material allowance can be used for books or a learning device.
• NSFAS-funded students do not pay the upfront registration fee.

Getting paid

1. Register at Unisa and confirm your NSFAS funding.
2. Submit your bank details through the link Unisa sends to your myLife email.
3. Watch your myLife email for payment notices.

In July 2026 a Unisa system problem delayed personal care allowances for about 93,000 students until it was fixed. Contact Unisa, not NSFAS, about allowance payment problems.

See universities NSFAS funds.

Frequently asked questions