N+1 Rule NSFAS Meaning, Criteria And Key Details Explained
Education is the fundamental right of every citizen in South Africa, but due to the skyrocketing university and college fees, students are unable to pursue their educational careers. However, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme gives students an opportunity to study for free at high-standard universities and colleges.
The N+1 rule is central to the NSFAS program and plays a pivotal role in determining the years of education. N+1 is for non-disabled and regular students of universities and TVET colleges in the country. Come with me to see the mechanism of the N+1 rule of the NSFAS program and explore how we can add another year for funding.
N+1 Rule NSFAS
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme is a pillar of support in the storm of the financial crisis. The purpose of NSFAS is to help deserving students who cannot pursue their educational careers due to insufficient money. If a student falls under the eligibility criteria, he can acquire financial aid from the National program.
The aid duration is determined based on the years of the education program. For example, if you are studying a 3-year diploma, you will get three years of funding based on the duration of your educational program. Here, you need to know that the N+1 rule plays a pivotal role in determining the duration of aid in a student’s study program.
The N+1 rule states that a physically and mentally healthy student can get one year of extra aid if he is unable to complete his studies according to the standard timeframe. For example, if you are an undergraduate student and your degree is 2 years long, unfortunately, you could not complete your degree within 2 years, then you can get 1 year extra aid.
Undergraduate student 2 years of education program duration
Formula: N+1 year
2+1 = 3 years
Application N+1 Rule
All physically and mentally fit students who are enrolled in the NSFAS program and studying at universities or TVET colleges can get 1 year of extra aid. On the other hand, physically disabled students can get 2 years of extra aid if they are unable to complete their studies according to the standard timeframe. However, a physically and mentally fit student can apply for N+2 years.
NSFAS N+ Appeal
Not all students can appeal for additional aid for another year; there are eligibility criteria for students who want to get financial aid for another year. If you are not a disabled student and do not have a valid reason to mention it in the application of appeal, you cannot get N+ year aid.
All students who have already reached the N+2 and N+3 limits cannot appeal for another year of financial aid. NSFAS supports only the students who have unsuccessful status due to money deprivation. Additionally, academically eligible students and students still within the N+2 can apply for financial aid for another year
The students consider themselves eligible for another year of financial aid and can download and fill out the form online. You can visit the nearest NSFAS office for submission or go to myNSFAS for document submission.
You Can Appeal for Financial Aid For Another Year
- If you have health-related issues, such as severe illness. You need to submit medical investigations, also known as medical tests, to get financial aid for another year.
- If a student experiences a death in the family or any other family calamity in the past year that affected his study, he can get financial aid for another year.
- If a student has been subjected to a violent crime that has affected his mental well-being and his academic year, he can appeal for financial aid for another year.
- If a student becomes pregnant or has a child, the person can appeal for financial aid for another year.
- If a student accidentally becomes disabled or suffers from a trauma that affects his mental well-being, he can appeal for financial aid for another year.
What is the N+ rule?
The N+ rule determines the number of years a student requires aid to study at the university. The N+1 rule states that if a student’s degree is 2 years long, then he can get extra funding for 1 year.
How many years does NSFAS fund you?
NSFAS funds a student throughout his entire degree with one year extra. For instance, if your degree is 2 years long, you can get 2 years’ funds, but if you are unsuccessfully unable to complete studies within 2 years, you can get extra funds for one year.
When did the N 1 rule start?
The minimum qualification standard time frame was designed in 2017. The purpose of the N+ year was to assist students for a limited duration.
What is the N 1 rule used for?
The N 1 rule is used to assist the students with one extra year of funding. The purpose of N 1 year is to help students if they have a calamity during the academic year and are unable to complete their studies within the standard timeframe.
NSFAS is a source of hope for all students who are unable to pursue an educational career due to financial hardships. It helps students throughout the academic year, but if a student cannot complete his studies due to a calamity, NSFAS gives him extra funds for one year. For this, NSFAS launched a rule called N+ in 2017; its details are mentioned above, I hope this information will help you in the future.