In October 2025, NSFAS will continue with the awarding of the allowances to its qualified students across South Africa. The allowances are meant to accommodate living expenses for students, buying textbooks, transport, and other educational costs. An approved timetable has been set for payments due for each category, along with reminders on how to ensure that your payment is not delayed.
Who Are Eligible for the October Allowance?
In order to receive the NSFAS allowance in October, students should have:
- Registered as an NSFAS beneficiary and enrolled in a public institution of higher learning or TVET college.
- Submitted or ensured the submission of outstanding documents to NSFAS (such as proof of registration, identity, academic progress, etc.).
- No holds on their record due to financial or academic reasons. It does not have to contain a hold.
- Fulfilled any verification or biometric requirements where applicable.
- Checked that the banking details are correct, and that the bank account is active.
Should a student not meet any of these requirements, delays may arise in the disbursement of their allowance.
Publishing List: When to Expect Payment
Albeit stages of payment of the allowance apply to some categories of institutions and year of study for October 2025, a few other factors of verification also may come into play:
- The payment for those whose universities completed registration early and had all documents verified shall be effected during the first week of October.
- Other students (especially into colleges/institutions where registration or verification was delayed) shall expect such payments to be effected during the mid-part of the month.
- Some final verification cases may be considered as late as toward the end of October, especially where NSFAS needs further documentation or confirmation.
The advice is to contact your financial aid office with respect to the exact date applicable to where you stay or go to school.
Preventing Delay in Payment
In order to get your NSFAS allowance for October paid in time, you should:
- Do a last-minute check to ensure that your bank details (bank name, account number, branch code) are adequately updated within the NSFAS system.
- Submit any outstanding documents as quickly as possible, as even one missing item (proof of residence, academic record, etc.) can cause the delay of your payment.
- Ensure that either your academic progress reports or semester results have been submitted, as there are times when NSFAS demands proof of continued enrolment before payments can be disbursed.
- Respond promptly to verification or any other communication that may be sent by NSFAS, including biometric or identity verification, if so required.
Significance of October Allowance
The NSFAS allowance is crucial for many students. With the ever-increasing prices of food, transport, accommodation, and learning materials, a student simply cannot focus on studies without some financial security. The October allowance draws a sigh of relief and helps students in getting through the academic term so that they are not left too soon without essential needs.
Also Read: SASSA R700 Grant 2025: Eligibility, Application Steps & Payment Schedule