The college offers financial aid by helping students with applications for bursaries at various institutions and agencies.
There are various companies, agencies and organisations you can apply to for financial support, but the main source of support for TVET colleges is the National Department of Education bursary fund administered by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Once you have been accepted at the college and you have been allocated a student number, you can immediately apply for financial aid.
Qualification Criteria for NSFAS
- Only South African citizens are eligible for this bursary scheme;
- A student must be registered or intending to register on a PLP, NC(V) or Report 191 programme at any of the fifty (50) public TVET Colleges in South Africa;
- Must be in need of financial assistance (NSFAS will determine whether or not a student meets the financial eligibility criteria);
- Returning students must demonstrate proven and accepted academic performance (academically deserving) in line with the College’s progression policy or the progression prescriptions of the Bursary Rules and Guidelines (whichever is higher);
- Must not be enrolling for a qualification that duplicates previous learning that was state-funded; and
- Applicants will qualify if they fall within the maximum threshold of up to R350,000 of combined gross family income per annum and are admitted/received a firm offer for enrolment in a College.
NSFAS covers:
- Registration & Tuition Fees
- Personal Care Allowance
- Transport Allowance
- Accommodation Allowance
Application Cycles
National Certificate Vocation (NCV) , Semester 1 and Trimester 1 – Annual – online application and walk in assistive capture application at the beginning of each year.
Trimester 2 & 3 as per DHET calendar, in May and September respectively , also Walk in assistive capture application
Semester 2 June – July walk in, assistive capture application
You can apply for NSFAS through:
- Buffalo City TVET College Bursary Offices
- Online
- NSFAS head office
Other sources of Financial Support
Student Loans
- All Major Banks
- Student loans are available at competitive rates from all the major South-African banking institutions
- Apply to the Student bureau of the institution of your choice
Other Institutions
Certain reputable micro financiers provide loans for study purposes with affordable/reasonable payment plans, should you not meet the normal lending criteria of the major banks.
Bursaries for TVET Colleges via External Organisations
- Access Trust at www.accesstrust.org.za
- African Scholars’ Fund at www.asf.org.za
- Elaine Forsyth Memorial Trust (P.O. Box 86, Cape Town, 8000)
- SA Institute of Electrical Engineers Bursary Scheme (P.O. Box 93541, Yeoville, 2143)
- Study Trust (P.O. Box 29192, Melville, 2109)
- Edu-Loan
- Provincial District and Local Municipal Bursaries
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