What’s The Difference Between ISFAP and NSFAS? Though Both Nsfas and ISFAP Both provide financial Support for the south African Students but they totally differ from each Other,This article Distinguish ISFAP from NSFAS
What is The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP)
The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) Bursary is a funding model designed for students from poor and ‘missing’ middle backgrounds. It was established with the aim to provide poor and middle-class South African learners equal opportunities for higher education.
What is NSFAS?
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a government-funded program that provides financial aid to qualifying South African students for undergraduate studies at public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
What Is The Difference Between NSFAS & ISFAP
Sifanele Biyela, Regional Project Manager at Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme, explained the difference between ISFAP and NSFAS.
NSFAS is a government financial aid scheme and that’s where the big difference lies. ISFAP is a foundation that’s donor-funded and is not under the government.
NSFAS provides funding for students with a household income of less than R350 000 per annum, while ISFAP provides funding for students with a household income between R0 and R600 000.
While NSFAS accommodates poorer students, ISFAP accommodates students who fall under both the label of poor and working class as well as the missing middle.
ISFAP also only covers certain programmes at certain universities while NSFAS would cover a far wider range of courses at all the public institutions in South Africa.
NSFAS funding covers:
University:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation: amount is the actual cost charged by the university.
- Transport: R7 500 per annum (up to 40 km from the institution)
- Living allowance: R15 000 per annum
- Book allowance: R5200 per annum
TVET
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation:
- in urban areas – R24 000 per annum
- in the peri-urban area – R18 900 per annum
- in rural areas – R15 750 per annum
- Transport: R7 350 (up to 40 km from the institution)
- Personal Care allowance: R2 900 per annum
ISFAP funding covers:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation
- Food
- Learning material (textbooks, calculators, etc.)
- Living allowance/Pocket money
- Non-academic student support
It’s important to remember that you can’t be funded by both ISFAP and NSFAS at the same time.
With NSFAS and ISFAP, the aim is to try and reach as many students as possible and afford the opportunity to as many students as possible.
Should students have more than one funder, it then narrows the reach of the different programmes to students who might find it useful, explains Biyela.
ISFAP therefore does not fund students who already have funding and your offer will be withdrawn if they find that you do.
