By Tenisha Taylor
A few hundred National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) students at Stellenbosch University (SU) were informed on Wednesday 3 June – during the A2 assessment period – that their NSFAS funding profiles had not yet migrated to the 2026 funded list, and, subsequently, they are not receiving their monthly allowances.
On Monday 25 May, SU’s Media Manager, Martin Viljoen, said to Die Matie that a “total of 605 students who were funded in 2025 have not yet been migrated to the 2026 NSFAS funding list”.
“Final funding decisions rest with NSFAS, while the university implements these decisions upon receipt of funding confirmation, including the disbursement of allowances. The university continues to engage with NSFAS on these cases. Affected students will receive direct communication regarding their funding status from NSFAS, with further updates provided as outcomes are confirmed or changed,” SU said on 25 May.
On Wednesday 3 June, an official email, “2026 NSFAS DHET Bursary: Important update regarding your NSFAS allowances”, was sent to NSFAS students. The email reads as follows:
Based on the latest information received, your NSFAS funding profile has not yet been fully migrated to the 2026 funded list, which is currently impacting the payment of allowances for a group of students. This is due to outstanding NSFAS funding confirmations and required validation processes that are still being finalised.
What this means for you
Your 2026 NSFAS funding status is still under review and not yet finalised by NSFAS.
Please note:
- NSFAS funding outcomes and migration decisions are made directly by NSFAS in line with their funding policies and eligibility criteria.
- The university continues active engagement with NSFAS to resolve outstanding cases affecting students.
Support being provided by the university
We recognise the significant impact this delay has on your wellbeing, particularly during the examination period. To assist affected students, the university will advance payment for May and June allowances. The payments will be made on Friday, 5 June.
This includes:
- Living allowance
- Accommodation allowance
- Personal care allowance
- Transport allowance (where applicable).
Important to note
- These advance payments are being made before NSFAS funding has been finalised in all cases.
- The university is taking on financial risk to support students during this period.
- Final funding decisions remain subject to NSFAS processes and confirmations.
NSFAS migration status
The NSFAS migration process involves transferring a student’s funding approval from one academic year to the next, provided they meet all the requirements set by both NSFAS and their institution. In this case, migration refers to the transfer of funding from 2025 to 2026.
Communication and service delivery concerns
SU said to Die Matie that “students are encouraged to use their JIRA reference number when following up and to escalate queries where necessary”. A JIRA ticket is a digital record used to track student queries via the online student finances service helpdesk.
According to SU, there were “443 NSFAS-related queries open on the system” by 25 May, including queries at different stages of resolution.
SU said to Die Matie that the university “does not expect standard queries to take months to resolve and takes such concerns seriously”. However, when asked why some tickets reportedly remain unresolved for months, SU stated only that “some delays may be linked to the complexity of NSFAS-related matters”.
Die Matie is aware of several cases where students have logged calls and sent emails without receiving satisfactory resolutions to their queries. On various social media groups, students are also reporting prolonged delays in receiving responses to queries, uncertainty regarding their funding status, and delays in receiving allowances.
When asked how and when these concerns would be addressed, SU said to Die Matie that “the university acknowledges the concerns raised regarding responsiveness, communication, and system efficiency, and recognise[s] the impact this has had on students and their families”.
SU said that “Student Finances operates in a high-volume, high-demand environment supporting all registered students across fee administration, bursaries, and NSFAS funding. This includes managing many complex queries across multiple service channels, while ensuring that funding allocations, account balances, and allowance payments are processed accurately.”
In response to Die Matie’s questions about delays and turnaround times regarding enquiries and payments, SU said the university “acknowledges the frustration experienced by some students, particularly where queries have taken longer than expected to resolve or have required multiple follow-ups”.
“NSFAS-related queries are often complex and may depend on external validation processes, which can extend resolution times and, in some cases, require repeated engagement,” SU said.
Regarding concerns about response times, SU stated that these are “largely influenced by high query volumes, the complexity of NSFAS-related matters, and dependencies on external stakeholders for feedback and/or decisions, which often affect turnaround times”.
Lived experiences – impact on students
Students interviewed by Die Matie described significant emotional, academic and financial consequences resulting from delays and communication challenges regarding their NSFAS status and payments.
SU said to Die Matie “the university acknowledges the impact that uncertainty around funding can have on student wellbeing. Efforts remain focused on improving response times, strengthening communication, and ensuring that students receive support as quickly as possible within existing constraints.” SU said it “fully recognises the urgency of matters related to living and food allowances and the immediate impact delays may have on students”.
However, students interviewed by Die Matie reported ongoing difficulties obtaining information and receiving responses regarding their funding.
A final-year BA (Humanities) student told Die Matie that she has visited the Inorganic Chemistry Building, which currently serves as SU’s temporary administration building, “plenty of times” to raise concerns. She said she has “not once had a good experience there”, adding that she either left with her “questions unanswered or was questioned upon my questioning”. She said “the lack of service is disappointing” and that she had witnessed occasions where “workers were asleep on their laptops”.
She said that having multiple unresolved queries has “definitely [been] affecting [her] ability to show up as a student” and that the situation has been “affecting [her] emotionally and psychologically”. She said that not receiving her living and rental allowances for June has “resulted in uncertainty of accommodation and [lack of] everyday necessities, [which causes] immense strain”.
A fourth-year BA (Social Work) student described her experience as “stressful and emotionally exhausting”. She said that whenever she made enquiries, she “felt like [she] was begging to receive [her] allowance and to be updated”.
At the end of May, a third-year BA (Humanities) student said to Die Matie that he became aware of his non-migration status through his own enquiries. He said he discovered the issue by “checking the NSFAS portal and not seeing an application for 2026”. When he visited the Inorganic Chemistry Building, to seek clarification, “I was told that I should wait and that there is nothing the university can do”.
He described his visits to the Inorganic Chemistry Building as “unhelpful”.
The final-year student told Die Matie at the end of May that she has “not received communication” regarding her non-migration status. She said that she only became aware of her non-migration status after making enquiries herself.
In some instances, students have submitted multiple JIRA tickets regarding the same issue without any resolution. The same final-year BA (Humanities) student told Die Matie that she had “logged four [JIRA] tickets and not received a response” after four days. Similarly, another student said that his “logged ticket has not been addressed, and it has been five days” since he last checked its status.
This is a developing story. Die Matiewill provide further updates as more information becomes available.
NSFAS NUMBERS – QUESTIONS TO SU
How many undergraduate students are currently enrolled at SU?
As of 19 May SU currently has 23 839 undergraduate registered students.
How many NSFAS students are currently enrolled at SU?
NSFAS funding decisions are made on an ongoing basis throughout the academic year. As of 19 May 2026, 4 402 NSFAS-funded students are currently registered at SU.
How many of these NSFAS students stay in SU residences?
Approximately 2 371 NSFAS students are currently placed in SU residences.
OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS BY NSFAS – QUESTIONS TO SU
Earlier this year Die Matie reported that NSFAS owes SU almost R290 million for 2025. What is the status of this outstanding amount, and has any of it been recovered recently?
The full amount relating to the 2025 academic year remains outstanding. The university continues to engage with NSFAS through formal processes to resolve this matter. While this remains under active discussion, students whose funding has been approved are not academically disadvantaged by these outstanding payments.
How many NSFAS students at SU should still receive their 2025 tuition and other fees from NSFAS for their debt to be cleared?
Outstanding 2025 NSFAS-related fee payments primarily relate to returning students whose funding carried over from previous academic years. First-year students for 2026 are generally not affected by these historical payment processes, as their funding relates to the current academic cycle. The reconciliation of these outstanding payments forms part of the ongoing engagement between SU and NSFAS.
How much does NSFAS owe the university for previous years (2016 to 2024)?
There is no outstanding NSFAS debt for 2016. For the period 2017 to 2024, the total outstanding amount owed to the university is approximately R158 million. This amount forms part of ongoing engagements with NSFAS to ensure resolution through formal funding and reconciliation processes.
STUDENT DEBT AT SU
SU briefed the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on 29 April in Cape Town regarding the university’s governance, administration, financial position, teaching and learning, research and innovation, and student accommodation. Members of the Rectorate, senior management, Council, the Institutional Forum, and the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) were present. The SRC and Institutional Forum also presented to the Portfolio Committee. The presentations are available on the website of the Parliamentary Monitoring Group.
