Public universities will now release application outcomes for first-time students only after the National Senior Certificate results are made public. For the first time in many years, public universities will release application outcomes to prospective first-time-entering students only after the official release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results to matriculants next week, Universities South Africa (USAf) announced this morning. This change arises from USAf being granted access to the 2025 NSC results at 06:00 on Monday,12 January — only 24 hours before their public release on 13 January.
According to USAf’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Phethiwe Matutu, the delay in providing USAf, and by extension, universities, with the 2025 NSC results follows a decision by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to minimise the risk of a leak similar to that which occurred with the 2024 results. Ordinarily, universities would have received the NSC results 72 hours (three days) before their public release. This timeframe enabled institutions to finalise admission decisions and issue acceptance letters on the same day learners received their results.
“This facilitated a smooth admissions process and reduced anxiety among prospective university students,” Dr Matutu explained. “Prospective first-time entrants must therefore await their application outcomes directly from universities,” Dr Matutu explained. When application outcomes can be expected from the following universities.
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“This removes the need for students to inundate institutions with enquiries, or to arrive on campuses prematurely, exposing themselves to safety and vulnerability risks at a time during which they cannot be attended to. Students must only arrive on campuses after receiving an application outcome, a confirmation of their accommodation status, and after completing their online registration at some institutions.”
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