Citizens of South Africa who are struggling financially can get assistance from the South African Government as there are multiple finances programs provided. The R350 Social Distress Relief (SRD) grant and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) are two assistance programs that aim to help South Africans, however, each program serves distinct populations. One of the most frequently asked questions by individuals who are enrolled in NSFAS is whether they are still eligible for the SASSA grant of R350. To properly answer this concern, it is important to understand the requirements of each program to see if both can work together in which a person can get both grants at the same time.
What is the R350 SASSA Grant?
The R350 grant is part of South Africa’s Social Relief of Distress (SRD) social programs that was designed to provide financial aid for people who are unemployed or in dire financial need of assistance. The grant was first issued when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a result of the surge in unemployment and poverty. Each month, grant payments are issued to eligible individuals that have been approved.
What is NSFAS?
The scope of NSFAS is its focus on students who come from poor families. NSFAS is a South African government scheme that assists students who have a deficiency of resources in covering their tuition costs, accommodation expenses, and other related activities in a public university or TVET college. NSAFS provides funding to low- income households to ensure that they can access education. This funding is unlike the other R350 grant because NSFAS financing is targeted towards those individuals who are enrolled into a course of learning.
Eligibility for the R350 Grant
First, the R350 SRD grant is provided to people with the following qualifications:
People who are not employed.
People who do not have access to any services offered by the government such as UIF, pensions or even loans.
People not earning more than the set threshold set by the government.
People who are South African citizens/ permanent residents.
People within the age of 18 years to 60 years.
Receiving any form of government aid, such as UIF or a pension, automatically disqualifies one from accessing the R350 grant. Though, there are some people who are in receipt of aid but, based on a means test, qualified for other forms of support.
Eligibility for NSFAS
To qualify for NSFAS funding, you have to:
Be a citizen of South Africa
Be enrolled in a public university or TVET college.
Have an overall household income not exceeding the cap set by NSFAS (R350,000 per year for students without a disability and R600,000 for students with a disability).
Meet the set educational milestones (e.g. achieving National Senior Certificate or an equivalent level qualification).
Am I Able to Claim the R350 SASSA Grant Alongside NSFAS?
The short response is that you are unable to claim the R350 SASSA SRD grant and use NSFAS funding simultaneously.
Factors Making It Impossible to Claim Both:
Support Multiplier Effect: The R350 SRD grant and NSFAS both aim to assist those who need help, but it is clear that both are based on different specific sets of conditions. If you are in a higher education institution, you qualify for NSFAS, but the R350 grant is for unemployed people without any other government support. With the SRD grant, you don’t have to worry about school expenses, which is why you can’t qualify.
Different Requirements: Part of the requirement to receive the R350 grant is that the applicant does not receive any government financial support. Seeing as NSFAS is a government scheme, this automatically rules you out from being able to claim the R350 grant.
Considerations of Income: The government analyzes family income, along with a few other aspects, to assess if a person qualifies for the R350 grant. If you are benefitting from NSFAS, it may mean that your family income is above certain thresholds set for NSFAS funding making you ineligible to receive the R350 grant.
What If I Am A Student And Unemployed?
Although it is not possible to access both grants, if you are a student and out of work, here is how you can get support through other means:
NSFAS: As a student, if you know that you satisfy the requirements of funding you can be rest assured that NSFAS will continue to fund your education.
Other Government Support: If you are without a job and you face other financial problems apart from your studies, you may be eligible to receive other forms of assistance like food or emergency aid from local councils or non-profit organizations.
Closing Remarks
It is reasonable that people expect extra assistance, but those who have received NSFAS funding are not qualified to receive the R350 SASSA grant because of the duplication in the support. Both schemes try to assist needy South Africans in some ways, however, they differ at the qualifying criteria and the objectives of these two funds.
Consider seeking other sources of support or funding, given that you currently have access to NSFAS funding and are in dire straits financially. It might also be worthwhile to check the eligibility requirements again or contact the designated institution if you feel your situation has improved.
