Port Elizabeth NSFAS Colleges PE TVET Ikhala TVET

NSFAS, or National Student Financial Aid Scheme, funds around 50 TVET colleges across South Africa, including Port Elizabeth. It is an excellent opportunity for students with high academic achievements and financial needs to sponsor their education. If you belong to Port Elizabeth and want to know more about colleges in Port Elizabeth with NSFAS, keep reading this guide.

Port Elizabeth TVET College

The Port Elizabeth TVET College is one of the biggest colleges in the city, with three main campuses on Russell Road, Dower, and Iqhayiya. The college aims to equip the students with essential skills so they are better prepared to operate in the job market. Port Elizabeth College offers physical courses as well as self-paced, distance e-learning courses.

The college specializes in a range of domains like artisan skills, business studies, engineering, hospitality, and tourism management. Currently, the PE TVET College offers NSFAS funding for its expertise in the following programs: NATED (National Accredited Technical Education Diploma), NCV (National Certificate Vocational for Engineering Studies, business, and Tourism), and occupational courses.

For further NSFAS-related queries, you can contact the PE TVET College head office directly.

Ikhala TVET College

Established in 2002, the Ikhala TVET College is located in Zone D, Queenstown, Eastern Cape. This college specializes in providing technical vocational training and education for various domains, including hospitality, administration, business, tourism, IT, and relevant engineering courses. Through this, the college prepares the students for the job market.

The Ikhala TVET College offers a mix of short courses (e-learning and physical) and diploma certificates. For NSFAS funding, students can apply for the following qualifications: NCV (National Certificate Vocational in Hospitality, Tourism, Office Management, Administration, IT, etc.), Engineering and Businesses Programs, and Learnership skills.

You can contact the head office of the Ikhala TVET College for further NSFAS-related queries.

NSFAS Coverage for TVET Colleges

NSFAS offers funding for around 50 public sectors TVET colleges across South Africa. For these colleges, this funding includes accommodation money (different for urban, pre-urban, and rural areas), meal expenses, academic fees, travel stipends, and a small personal care allowance.

Within this scheme, the money allocated for disabled students is higher than that for ordinary beneficiaries. Apart from the basic benefits, it covers assistive devices for students, including hearing aids, wheelchairs, and other relevant items. It also gives them extra incentive for tutors and caretakers who will assist the students in their studies.

Meal Allowance

NSFAS separates a small amount for the meal allowance, depending on the nutrition requirements of a student. The amount differs and is usually determined by the living cost of the area.

Travel Allowance

The travel allowance makes up a small part of the NSFAS funding. It is only available for students who deserve assistance for their travels, determined by the location of your hometown.

Personal Care Allowance

The next allowance is for students to maintain their hygiene, as the NSFAS department believes that students should be free from viruses and infections. Once you qualify as an NSFAS beneficiary, you will get a small amount for products like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc. This amount usually varies depending on the living cost of the area.

Accidental Incidents Allowance

You must be prepared for emergencies and accidents in advance, and NSFAS helps you resolve this program with financial assistance. NSFAS has a policy to administer a small amount of money at the beginning of each month so they can reserve it for emergencies. The amount of this allowance varies, depending on the city and campus.

Accommodation Allowance

For accommodation, NSFAS has the policy to settle the student’s accommodation at the end of the program. Students can also pay their electricity bills with this allowance. Here is a breakdown of the accommodation expenses covered by NSFAS for TVET Colleges.

  • For urban areas, the accommodation money goes up to R24,000 per annum.
  • For pre-urban areas, the accommodation money goes up to R18,900 per annum.
  • For rural areas, the accommodation money goes up to R15,750 per annum.
  • The transport cost offered to TVET students is around R7,000 per annum.
  • The personal care allowance is anywhere around R2,900 per annum.

Study Expenses

Within the academic expenses, NSFAS covers your tuition fees, books stipend, and other helping material. Please note that some public colleges offer library assistance to students so they can borrow and take free books. In this case, NSFAS won’t cover the expenses of your books and helping material.

In essence, NSFAS partners with two colleges in Port Elizabeth. If you are studying at any of these colleges, contact their head office so they can accommodate your academic funding requirements. I hope this guide has been helpful for students finding the right NSFAS funding opportunity.