Johannesburg – The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) have restored funding for 182 students.
The students had been adversely affected by the N+ rule because of incorrect qualification code updates.
Announcing the corrective move today, Saturday 12 September 2026, the Department of Higher Education and Training said: “The cases related mainly to defunding under the N+ rule, pending GAP investigations, dual registration, and data-sharing challenges between TUT’s financial aid office and NSFAS”.
The department said TUT made the necessary qualification code corrections after Higher Education Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim’s office intervened.
The deputy minister’s office contacted the institution regarding more than 300 self-reported Helpdesk cases from TUT students.
“Upon receiving the file from the deputy minister’s Helpdesk, the institution and NSFAS worked through the cases and identified and corrected the qualification codes of the 182 students,” the department said.
“TUT has confirmed that funding for the affected students has been fully restored and that September allowances have been paid.”
Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim visited TUT on Wednesday 9 September 2026, accompanied by DHET University branch and NSFAS officials to engage with the institution’s senior management, led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, and with SRC leadership.
The department said the engagement revealed that 1 212 students were placed in accredited accommodation after the NSFAS portal closed and have since not had their accommodation paid for.
A further 115 students had their funding approved by NSFAS after the portal closed and faced the same predicament.
Deputy Minister Cassim has written to the NSFAS Board, requesting that these cases be investigated without delay and that the affected students be assisted immediately.
NSFAS has further confirmed that payments have been processed for all successfully concluded GAP investigations.
Nationally, funding has been reinstated for 2 476 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college students.
Payments for those with valid registrations were processed and issued from 25 August.
Funding has also been reinstated for 3 234 university students.
Deputy Minister Cassim had been following up consistently to ensure that all students whose funding was restored after GAP investigations have been concluded receive all their outstanding allowances.
Consequently, NSFAS has indicated that if any student whose GAP investigation has been successfully concluded has not received their allowance, they may reach out to the Helpdesk to have their case escalated.
On dual registrations, NSFAS received 2 982 records in which the same student was registered at more than one institution. Of these, 1 303 have been confirmed and are being paid.
TUT identified 16 cases of dual registration that had been resolved, but funding had not yet been restored. Deputy Minister Cassim urged NSFAS to prioritise the matter.
“Although these issues might seem administrative, for students they are highly personal, affecting their ability to register, access allowances for meals, transport, or accommodation, and continue their studies,” said Deputy Minister Cassim.
“No student should miss academic time due to incorrect data or unresolved issues between the institution and NSFAS.”
