Can You Get NSFAS and R350 Grant Togather

Are you wondering if it’s possible to get NSFAS and R350 grant simultaneously? To answer this question, let’s first gain a clear understanding of NSFAS and SASSA grants.

SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) and NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) are two distinct government-funded programs established to provide support to different segments of the population, with over 49% of the entire country’s population benefiting from them as of 2024.

• NSFAS, short for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, is specifically designed to assist underprivileged South African students pursuing higher education at institutions within the country.
• SRD Social Relief of Distress R350 grant is intended to provide temporary financial relief to individuals in need throughout the nation during times of hardship.
• SASSA Social Grants offer opportunities like Old Age Grant, Child Support, Foster Child Grant, Disability Grant, Care Dependency, and more, totalling seven distinct programs to aid qualified individuals and families with respect to SASSA applications.

Will SASSA Grant Recipients Qualify for NSFAS Funding

The straightforward answer to the question of whether SASSA affects NSFAS eligibility is Yes. SASSA conducts monthly verifications of eligibility for current beneficiaries and new applicants and strongly declares that the recipient ID should not be registered for NSFAS.

If SASSA discovers that your ID is in the NSFAS system through a monthly review and means test, your grant will be cancelled, and you won’t receive the benefits you’re entitled to.

It’s crucial to understand that you cannot receive both SASSA grant and NSFAS funding simultaneously. However, if you’ve previously received any of the SASSA social grants or the SRD R350 grant, you may potentially qualify for NSFAS by submitting a SASSA Declaration Form for non-SASSA applicants.

The official South African government website states, that SASSA applicants must meet certain eligibility criteria. These criteria include being unemployed without any other sources of income, not receiving government assistance such as UIF, NSFAS, or other social grants, and being over the age of 18.

On the other hand, NSFAS states that SASSA recipients can apply for and be approved for NSFAS funds, particularly for university students, even if they receive the R350 grant or another social grant.

However, it’s essential to note that if you want to receive the R350 grant, you must not be NSFAS beneficiary. In other words, if you’re already receiving support from NSFAS and you apply for R350 grant, your application will likely be declined.

In another way, if you are a social grant recipient and you apply for NSFAS while receiving SASSA support, you can get accepted by NSFAS, but if SASSA finds out, you may be considered ineligible which will affect your child grant and any other grant including SRD R350, which could result in your payments being stopped.

If you believe your rejection was unfair, you have the option to submit an SASSA appeal which will go through the Department of Social Development that handles appeals and SASSA complaints.