The National Student Financial Aid Scheme says it has approved more than 609,000 funding applications for the 2026 academic year after processing a record number of submissions ahead of schedule. TheNational Student Financial Aid Scheme(NSFAS) says it has processed all 2026 funding applications ahead of the start of the academic year, approving 609,653 applications and rejecting 49,538 after a rigorous review process. NSFAS board chairperson Dr Mugwena Malulekesaid the scheme had met its commitment to finalise all applications by December 31, 2025.
said the scheme had met its commitment to finalise all applications by December 31, 2025. Speaking from Pretoria on Tuesday morning, Maluleke said:“We received a record 893,847 applications, a testament to the scale and importance of our mission,” he said. Of these, 593,981 applications (66.45%) were from female applicants, while 299,866 (33.55%) were submitted by male applicants.
He said applications included 520,545 from SASSA beneficiaries and 2,551 from students with disabilities. To date, 218,043 applications remain incomplete due to outstanding documents, 16,862 have been cancelled, and 49,538 rejected.
