Getting Financial Support At Walter Sisulu University

INTRODUCTION
Students who plan to study at Walter Sisulu University can access financial aid in several forms like bursaries or loans available through financial institutions or through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa
Students who plan to study at Walter Sisulu University can access financial aid in several forms such as bursaries or loans.
An overview of most frequently asked questions is also provided.
WSU’s financial aid policy provides guidelines on which applications are most likely to be successful in their applications. An financial aid appeal process and policy is in place for those applications which have been declined for funding.
Details for activating the IntelliCard are also available here. For details regarding financial funding, please contact NSFAS directly.
Contact us
For more information, contact us at:
Buffalo City

Potsdam: Tel 043 708 5391

College Street: Tel 043 702 9256

Mthatha

Nelson Mandela Drive: Tel 047 502 2312/2422/2428

Butterworth

Ibika: Tel 047 401 6203

FAQS

Here the University answers 14 of the most asked questions about the finance provided by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa(NSFAS)

What are some of the forms of financial support available for students at Walter Sisulu University?
So what is NSFAS then?
What does academically deserving mean?
What does financially needy mean?
Do all students who apply for loans receive financial aid?
What do I need to know about applying for financial aid at WSU?
Where must my application form be sent/handed in?
What happens if I don’t have all the necessary documentation?
Do I have to apply every year?
Do I have to pay an application fee to apply for financial aid?
What happens after I hand in my application form?
What happens when I accept the offer for NSFAS student financial aid?
When will the loans funds be available?
What happens to any money that is left available in my student fee account once all my university costs have been paid for?
And if my application is not successful, and I don’t get NSFAS funding?
What about if I do have outstanding supplementary exam results at the time of registration?
What is the selection criteria for the funding?

NSFACTS
Stop. Before you apply for NSFAS funding, read about who is eligible for this funding, what selection criteria are applied to funding and where and by whom NSFAS forms are evaluated, amongst others

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme will be opening applications for financial support for the 2024 academic year on 01 August. Students are advised to prepare their supporting documents which must be submitted with their application.
The required supporting documents are:
Certified copy of the applicants ID or birth certificate
Certified copy the applicants parents or guardians ID as well as ID copies of the household members
Certified copy of the pay advice or letter of employment which reflects the household income.

Who is eligible for NSFAS Funding?
Do I have to apply every year?
What happens when I accept the offer for NSFAS student financial aid?
When will the loans funds be available?
What about if I do have outstanding supplementary exam results at the time of registration?
What is the selection criteria for the funding?
Where and by whom are NSFAS forms evaluated, WSU or NSFAS, CPT?WSU evaluates the applications for financial aid against the criteria set by NSFAS – these are criteria set for all universities across the country.
What happens to the remaining funding once a debt has been paid off?
What is the Zuma fund, and who qualifies for this funding?
Will Btech students receive NSFAS funding this year?
Does NSFAS pay for previous year debt?

POLICY AND APPEALS
The NSFAS policy guides the awarding of student financial aid. It is supported by WSU’s appeal and process policy which determines the outcome of appeal
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS) has appointed WSU to administer loan and bursary funding on its behalf.
According to the terms and conditions of the agreement between these two parties, WSU is obliged to ensure compliance to all the minimum criteria and requirements as determined by NSFAS, from time to time.
The policy provides clear administrative policies and guidelines for the awarding of student financial aid for students at WSU.
Your electronic copy of the WSU student funding aid services policy is available here.
Providing guidelines for the appeals
Walter Sisulu University (WSU) has determined the basis for eligibility for financial aid in the Student Funding Services Policy.
Not all students who apply for financial assistance can be accommodated within the limited funding made available, and as such, there will be students whose applications for financial assistance will be declined on the basis of not meeting the criteria specified by NSFAS or the university, or where applications have been submitted late, incomplete or with incorrect information.
Should the student request details of the reasons for the refusal to grant credit, the university has an obligation to provide the primary reason for the refusal. Should the student wish to contest this decision, then the student should be provided with an opportunity to appeal the decision through an internal university process. This appeal must be in writing, must provide substantive motivation for such appeal, citing relevant and applicable facts.
This financial aid appeals and process policy is intended to provide guidelines to the internal subcommittee of the university in the determination of such appeals decisions, and to provide supporting standard operating procedures and guidelines for such a process.