Thousands of NSFAS Students are Left Stranded as NSFAS goes Underground.

Posted on 30/11/2020 by topsythete

As the deadline for the 2021 applications for financial aid looms, thousands of students are left stranded as the National Students Financial Aid Scheme’s website grinds to a halt. The website has been giving various error messages and students could not proceed with their applications. Some have been sitting on their computers and smart phones for 48 hours trying to beat the deadline but all this in vain.

The deadline was initially set for Monday, 30 November 2020. Responding to a number of complaints from prospective students on their Twitter account, NSFAS decided to extend the deadline by only 24 hours until 23:59 on 01 December 2020. Some students said that the 24 hour extension is unlikely to help them as the problem is the website which has ground to a halt and refuses to open or to proceed with the applications. NSFAS does not seem to have an answer to this problem and insist that the deadline shall not be extended.

Here are some of the screenshots of the error messages experienced by the students.

This is what you see on the NSFAS website for hours. No change.

Here are some of the comments by the students in response to NSFAS’ extension of the deadline.

“NSFAS@myNSFAS #NSFAS2021 applications will close tomorrow (1 December 2020) at 23:59. Go to http://nsfas.org.za, click myNSFAS and complete your application. No further extension will be offered. Applications close 1 December 2020.7:56 PM · Nov 30, 2020·Twitter Web App 46 Retweets 7 Quote Tweets 137 Likes“

Phumla Willie@Ms_Willie·3hReplying to @myNSFASWe can’t login and finish applications.711 Phumla Willie@Ms_Willie·3hYesterday it wouldn’t give the option for which year you’re applying for! Is that gonna be sorted by tomorrow ?25Show replies Tebang@TEBANG·3hReplying to @myNSFASNew board ceo need to review this closing thing…you should fund all qualifying students at uni/college and drop the application closing period…this is not the free education we fought for…y’all don’t want us to prosper14 The Trinity God@MnguniReymon·3hReplying to @myNSFASwe do love you alot because you transforming our beautiful society into a beautiful one, like lets make a Singapore in Africa , but unfortunatly the website doesnt seem to be working . trust me , it is doing unbelievable stuff, so many unneccesary errors. lets work on our website8 Jonas Radipudi Molepo@labesh·3hReplying to @myNSFASwe cant complete our application

11 Thato Jay@ThatoTladiTJT1·3hReplying to @myNSFASYou can just close the application because it your website is not working and you not doing anything about114 Lindi @IWantFinFreedom·3hReplying to @myNSFASHi there

There is no dropdown options for academic cycle (using both a phone and a PC). How do we pass this because we can’t submit without it?

NSFAS posted the following message on thier Faceboo account:

“#NSFAS2021 Applications Update!! As expected, we are experiencing high traffic volumes to the myNSFAS portal as everyone rushes to meet the application deadline which results in the system becoming slow. This traffic is also impacted by the Fake News shared over the weekend causing unnecessary panic to all applicants who have already applied for 2021. The system is still open for those who wish to apply for 2021 funding and all applications already submitted will be processed. If you have not applied yet please go to www.nsfas.org.za, click myNSFAS and apply. Further updates will be communicated if necessary. #NSFAS2021“

It looks like a very bleak future awaits those students who will not be able to meet the deadline as they will not be able to register for tertiary education next year. This while there are allegations that some graduates are still receiving NSFAS money.