NSFAS Application Statuses can seem confusing to navigate and understand. Here is a list of each of the most common application statuses:
- Application Submitted
- Awaiting Academic Eligibility Check
- Academic Eligibility Evaluated
- Application Withdrawn
- Awaiting Evaluation
- Awaiting Evaluation Escalation
- Awaiting Financial Eligibility Check
- Awaiting Registration
- Evaluation
- Filtering
- Funding Eligibility
- Financial Eligibility Evaluated
- Provisionally Funded
- Signing Of Agreement
- Waiting Availability Of Funds
- Payments
- Application Rejected
- Not Funded
- Null
The Meanings Of Each Status
Application Submitted
This means your application was submitted successfully.
Awaiting Academic Eligibility Check
This means that NSFAS have not yet checked whether you qualify academically.
Academic Eligibility Evaluated
This is the step between ranking and funding. It means that NSFAS has checked whether you qualify academically, and your application has gone through ranking and needs to be finalised to either Provisionally Funded or Awaiting.
Application Withdrawn
This means the student has withdrawn the application. When an application is withdrawn, NSFAS will no longer consider your application. If your status is withdrawn, but you did not withdraw it, call NSFAS as soon as possible for application reversal on 0860067327. It can be due to technical errors, or you may have clicked ‘withdraw’ by accident.
Awaiting Evaluation
This means your application is submitted and waiting to be evaluated.
Awaiting Evaluation Escalation
This means that your application has been evaluated, and is being escalated to a team leader to be resolved.
Awaiting Financial Eligibility Check
This means that NSFAS have not yet checked if you qualify to get funds or not.
Awaiting Registration
This means that NSFAS is currently creating a bursary agreement on partnership with the institution you will be studying at.
Evaluation
This means that NSFAS is evaluating the legitimacy of the documents you have submitted. This is to ensure no fraudulent applications are processed unnecessarily.
Filtering
This means that the NSFAS system is checking if you are a new or returning student, and if you have any other qualifications.
Funding Eligibility
This means that NSFAS is checking that you are eligible for funding, and that your household income has been calculated correctly.
Financial Eligibility Evaluated
This means that NSFAS has evaluated whether you qualify for funding, and your application is awaiting ranking.
Provisionally Funded
This means that your application has been ranked, and provisionally funded. Your application is successful, and you can go to the institution and register.
Signing Of Agreement
This means that NSFAS is waiting for you to sign the bursary agreement that has been drawn up with the institution.
Waiting Availability Of Funds
This means that your application qualifies for funding, but no funds are available. With this application status, you can still register at the institution. Funds will be provided once they are available.
Validation
This means that NSFAS is making other validation checks with organisations such as SASSA and the Department of Home Affairs. This is to confirm your household income and your identity.
Payments
This means that you have successfully been accepted and registered with NSFAS for funding, and payments are being made. Students are advised to keep checking their NSFAS status for any changes.
Application Rejected
This is if you were previously funded by NSFAS, and they cannot fund you again.
Not Funded
This means you do not qualify for NSFAS funding. Your application is unsuccessful.
Null
This means that your application has been received but has not been processed yet. Keep checking to see when your application begins to be processed.
How To Appeal
If your application has been rejected, and you feel it should not have been, you can appeal the decision. Applicants can submit their appeal form with supporting documents in any of the following ways:
- Email: [email protected]
- Submit it to your educational institution’s Financial Aid Office.
- Online
How To Submit Your Appeal Online
- Log on to your MyNSFAS account
- Click the ‘Track Funding Progress’ option
- Check the ‘Application Progress’ tabs
- If your application status reflects that it is unsuccessful, then you may submit an appeal by clicking on the ‘Submit Appeal’ tab
- Once you are on the ‘Application Appeal’ page, you will be able to see the reason for your unsuccessful application status
- Write a motivational letter stating the reasons why you are appealing your application status. Your motivational letter must not exceed 1 000 characters (words, including spaces)
- Upload certified supporting documents to support your motivation. A maximum of five documents
- Click ‘Submit Appeal’
There is no fee to appeal the decision. The appeal process can last as little as seven days, however the process can often take up to 30 days before a decision is made.
The process differs for each applicant, and students are encouraged to log onto their myNSFAS profile to view the appeal results.
Note that NSFAS reserves the right to accept or reject your application.
Applications with missing supporting documents will be left open for 14 days, during which you can submit the missing documents, but if you do not submit the documents within those 14 days, the application will be closed and dismissed.
I Need Help To Register At UNISA
If you want instructions for registering with UNISA, you can get instructions on the UNISA Registration process. Alternatively, you can:
- Go to the UNISA website for all their contact details
- Download a booklet with all the details of how to apply and study at UNISA
- Join a Facebook group for UNISA Applications
- Read this article about how to Register at UNISA
- Read this article about UNISA for Beginners
If I Do Not Get In Now, When Can I Try Again?
UNISA has two intakes every year.
New and returning prospective UNISA applicants are able to apply for a qualification for the 2022 academic year to begin in the second semester, online at the following dates:
Undergraduate qualifications (higher certificates, advanced certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, PGCE’s, Btech, and degrees): 6th May – 13th May 2022
Honours degrees and Postgraduate diplomas: 6th May – 13th May 2022
Master’s degrees and Doctoral degrees: 3rd March – 30th April 2022
If you have not yet decided whether to apply for NSFAS funding, you can read up on NSFAS and what they do:
- Read more about how NSFAS is helping Unisa students study for free in 2018
- Read more about Unisa 2018 free studies in the news on Huffington Post
What Have We Learned?
- Each NSFAS application status has its own meaning
- The status meanings can be easy to navigate if you know what they mean
- You can appeal the decision if your application is rejected
- There are many places to get help with registering at UNISA
- You can always try again in the next application period if you do not get accepted to UNISA
Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Razeen Dollie
Date: June 29, 2022
NSFAS Application Statuses can seem confusing to navigate and understand. Here is a list of each of the most common application statuses:
- Application Submitted
- Awaiting Academic Eligibility Check
- Academic Eligibility Evaluated
- Application Withdrawn
- Awaiting Evaluation
- Awaiting Evaluation Escalation
- Awaiting Financial Eligibility Check
- Awaiting Registration
- Evaluation
- Filtering
- Funding Eligibility
- Financial Eligibility Evaluated
- Provisionally Funded
- Signing Of Agreement
- Waiting Availability Of Funds
- Payments
- Application Rejected
- Not Funded
- Null
The Meanings Of Each Status
Application Submitted
This means your application was submitted successfully.
Awaiting Academic Eligibility Check
This means that NSFAS have not yet checked whether you qualify academically.
Academic Eligibility Evaluated
This is the step between ranking and funding. It means that NSFAS has checked whether you qualify academically, and your application has gone through ranking and needs to be finalised to either Provisionally Funded or Awaiting.
Application Withdrawn
This means the student has withdrawn the application. When an application is withdrawn, NSFAS will no longer consider your application. If your status is withdrawn, but you did not withdraw it, call NSFAS as soon as possible for application reversal on 0860067327. It can be due to technical errors, or you may have clicked ‘withdraw’ by accident.
Awaiting Evaluation
This means your application is submitted and waiting to be evaluated.
Awaiting Evaluation Escalation
This means that your application has been evaluated, and is being escalated to a team leader to be resolved.
Awaiting Financial Eligibility Check
This means that NSFAS have not yet checked if you qualify to get funds or not.
Awaiting Registration
This means that NSFAS is currently creating a bursary agreement on partnership with the institution you will be studying at.
Evaluation
This means that NSFAS is evaluating the legitimacy of the documents you have submitted. This is to ensure no fraudulent applications are processed unnecessarily.
Filtering
This means that the NSFAS system is checking if you are a new or returning student, and if you have any other qualifications.
Funding Eligibility
This means that NSFAS is checking that you are eligible for funding, and that your household income has been calculated correctly.
Financial Eligibility Evaluated
This means that NSFAS has evaluated whether you qualify for funding, and your application is awaiting ranking.
Provisionally Funded
This means that your application has been ranked, and provisionally funded. Your application is successful, and you can go to the institution and register.
Signing Of Agreement
This means that NSFAS is waiting for you to sign the bursary agreement that has been drawn up with the institution.
Waiting Availability Of Funds
This means that your application qualifies for funding, but no funds are available. With this application status, you can still register at the institution. Funds will be provided once they are available.
Validation
This means that NSFAS is making other validation checks with organisations such as SASSA and the Department of Home Affairs. This is to confirm your household income and your identity.
Payments
This means that you have successfully been accepted and registered with NSFAS for funding, and payments are being made. Students are advised to keep checking their NSFAS status for any changes.
Application Rejected
This is if you were previously funded by NSFAS, and they cannot fund you again.
Not Funded
This means you do not qualify for NSFAS funding. Your application is unsuccessful.
Null
This means that your application has been received but has not been processed yet. Keep checking to see when your application begins to be processed.
How To Appeal
If your application has been rejected, and you feel it should not have been, you can appeal the decision. Applicants can submit their appeal form with supporting documents in any of the following ways:
- Email: [email protected]
- Submit it to your educational institution’s Financial Aid Office.
- Online
How To Submit Your Appeal Online
- Log on to your MyNSFAS account
- Click the ‘Track Funding Progress’ option
- Check the ‘Application Progress’ tabs
- If your application status reflects that it is unsuccessful, then you may submit an appeal by clicking on the ‘Submit Appeal’ tab
- Once you are on the ‘Application Appeal’ page, you will be able to see the reason for your unsuccessful application status
- Write a motivational letter stating the reasons why you are appealing your application status. Your motivational letter must not exceed 1 000 characters (words, including spaces)
- Upload certified supporting documents to support your motivation. A maximum of five documents
- Click ‘Submit Appeal’
There is no fee to appeal the decision. The appeal process can last as little as seven days, however the process can often take up to 30 days before a decision is made.
The process differs for each applicant, and students are encouraged to log onto their myNSFAS profile to view the appeal results.
Note that NSFAS reserves the right to accept or reject your application.
Applications with missing supporting documents will be left open for 14 days, during which you can submit the missing documents, but if you do not submit the documents within those 14 days, the application will be closed and dismissed.
I Need Help To Register At UNISA
If you want instructions for registering with UNISA, you can get instructions on the UNISA Registration process. Alternatively, you can:
- Go to the UNISA website for all their contact details
- Download a booklet with all the details of how to apply and study at UNISA
- Join a Facebook group for UNISA Applications
- Read this article about how to Register at UNISA
- Read this article about UNISA for Beginners
If I Do Not Get In Now, When Can I Try Again?
UNISA has two intakes every year.
New and returning prospective UNISA applicants are able to apply for a qualification for the 2022 academic year to begin in the second semester, online at the following dates:
Undergraduate qualifications (higher certificates, advanced certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, PGCE’s, Btech, and degrees): 6th May – 13th May 2022
Honours degrees and Postgraduate diplomas: 6th May – 13th May 2022
Master’s degrees and Doctoral degrees: 3rd March – 30th April 2022
If you have not yet decided whether to apply for NSFAS funding, you can read up on NSFAS and what they do:
- Read more about how NSFAS is helping Unisa students study for free in 2018
- Read more about Unisa 2018 free studies in the news on Huffington Post
What Have We Learned?
- Each NSFAS application status has its own meaning
- The status meanings can be easy to navigate if you know what they mean
- You can appeal the decision if your application is rejected
- There are many places to get help with registering at UNISA
- You can always try again in the next application period if you do not get accepted to UNISA
Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Razeen Dollie
Date: June 29, 2022
