Students living with disabilities can receive financial support for their studies through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, better known as NSFAS.
NSFAS provides bursaries to students who come from poor and working-class backgrounds, and they will pay for much more than just your fees.
If you’re a person with a disability, the criteria to be funded by NSFAS is as follows:
- Primary disability must be an impairment that is long term, recurring and substantially limiting
- Household income needs to be below R600 000 per year
- Must be a South African citizen
- Must be accepted or applying to a Public South African University
- SASSA grant recipients qualify immediately
NSFAS will cover your tuition and registration fees and you will also receive allowances such as living allowance, transport allowance, personal/incidental allowance, and a learning materials/book allowance.
Extra support is provided to students living with disabilities, such as:
- Medical assessments
- The assessment is limited to one assessment for the duration of the qualification and on request by the Disability Unit/Student Support.
- R2000 once off
- Assistive devices
- Limited to one assistive device for the duration of the qualification.
- R50 000 once off
- Human support
- To cover for the cost of human support such as a caregiver, guide-dog, scribe, tutor, or sign language interpreter.
- R50 000 per year
You can also head to the NSFAS website for more information on NSFAS
As seen first on: https://www.careersportal.co.za/nsfas/how-nsfas-works-for-people-with-disabilities
