NSFAS dismisses misleading R630k payment claim amid ongoing student funding issues
NSFAS says viral R630,434 payment claim is false.
Image: Twitter / X
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has dismissed a viral social media claim that a student received more than R630,000 from the scheme, describing the post as false and misleading.
The claim, which circulated widely online, alleged that a student had been paid R630,434.44. NSFAS said preliminary checks show the image appears to be manipulated and possibly AI-generated.
“No such payment has been made by NSFAS,” the scheme said.
It added that the content appears to have been created for social media engagement and does not reflect any legitimate transaction within its system.
NSFAS emphasised that it does not pay large lump sums directly to students. Instead, funding is transferred to universities, which then distribute allowances to approved beneficiaries in line with set guidelines.
“These systems are governed by strict financial controls and oversight mechanisms,” the scheme said.
The clarification comes amid ongoing challenges within the NSFAS system, with students in Cape Town and across the country continuing to raise concerns about delayed allowances, accommodation shortages and administrative bottlenecks.
At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, students recently warned of a “life-threatening crisis” as funding delays left some at risk of eviction and homelessness. Similar concerns have been reported nationally, with students reporting hunger, unpaid accommodation and uncertainty linked to late disbursements.
Pressure on the system has also been compounded by rising accommodation costs and disputes between NSFAS and private landlords, with some stakeholders warning that funding caps do not reflect current market-related rental prices.
Universities administer monthly payments for food, transport and accommodation, with disbursements subject to institutional processes and verification, making large once-off payments inconsistent with the scheme’s funding model.
NSFAS said its systems remain secure and that there had been no breach or irregular payment linked to the viral claim.
It warned that the creation and spread of false information misrepresenting its operations would be taken seriously, and that it may pursue legal action against those responsible.
Members of the public have been urged to rely on official NSFAS communication platforms for accurate information.