2025 NSFAS Upfront Payments to Universities – What Every Student Needs to Know Now

Published on: May 8, 2025

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has made a big move in 2025 to shake up how funding works at the start of the academic year.

If you’re a student or planning to register at a university in South Africa, here’s great news: NSFAS is now making upfront payments to universities before registration even starts.

This update means faster access to registration, housing, and resources—no more waiting around while funding gets sorted.

Let’s break down what this means for you and how you can benefit.

Upfronts

So what exactly are NSFAS upfront payments? They’re advance funds paid directly to universities before the academic year kicks off. These lump sums are meant to smooth over the usual delays that happen when students are waiting for their funding to reflect.

Here’s what the payments cover:

Tuition fees and registration
University-managed accommodation
Academic material support (in some cases)

This is particularly helpful for first-time students, whose funding might not yet be finalised, and returning NSFAS students, who just need to get through admin without the usual headaches.

Beneficiaries

Not every student is impacted the same way, but here’s who benefits most from the change:

New first-year students awaiting NSFAS approval
Returning students with existing NSFAS support
TVET college students (though implementation here may be slightly delayed)

If you’re one of these students, you’re far more likely to start the year without delays—because your university already has the money in hand.

Universities

Here’s a list of some key universities receiving NSFAS upfront payments in 2025:

University	NSFAS Allocation (R Millions)	Estimated Beneficiaries	Payment Month	Covers Registration?	Covers Housing?	Contact Email
UCT	R450M	12,000+	January	Yes	Yes	[email protected]
UJ	R410M	14,000+	January	Yes	Yes	[email protected]
TUT	R500M	18,000+	January	Yes	Yes	[email protected]
UFS	R320M	9,500+	January	Yes	Yes	[email protected]
DUT	R375M	11,000+	January	Yes	Yes	[email protected]
UP	R430M	13,000+	January	Yes	Yes	[email protected]
WSU	R300M	10,000+	January	Yes	Yes	[email protected]
SU	R340M	8,500+	January	Yes	Yes	[email protected]

So if you’re registered at one of these institutions, chances are your registration and housing are already covered.

Usage

Here’s how these upfront funds are used by universities:

Faster registration: Students don’t need to wait for funding confirmation
Prepaid accommodation: NSFAS pays for your university-managed housing in advance
Academic material: Some institutions may use part of the funds for learning supplies
Excluded: Meal and transport allowances are still handled monthly via your NSFAS wallet

Disbursement

Still wondering how this affects your own wallet? Here’s a side-by-side of how funds are delivered:

Category	NSFAS Wallet	University Account (Upfront)
Registration	No	Yes
Tuition	No	Yes
Monthly Allowances	Yes	No
Accommodation	Sometimes	Yes (if university-managed)
Meal Allowance	Yes	No
Learning Materials	Yes	No
Transport Allowance	Yes	No

So while your tuition and accommodation are taken care of upfront, your monthly personal allowances—like meals and transport—still come via the NSFAS wallet.

Contacts

Need help or unsure if your institution received the funds? Reach out to the relevant department:

Department Name	Email Address	Phone Number
NSFAS General Support	[email protected]	0800 067 327
UCT Financial Aid	[email protected]	021 650 3545
UJ Student Finance	[email protected]	011 559 4555
TUT Financial Office	[email protected]	012 382 4420
NSFAS Appeals Division	[email protected]	0860 067 327

If you’re applying or re-registering for 2025, this change can make your start to the year a lot smoother. No waiting, no financial blocks—just a clear path to the classroom.