Several bursary and education funds operate in South Africa under the names of prominent people and foundations.
No legitimate bursary charges an application fee. Anyone asking for money to process, secure or release funding is running a scam, and this is among the most common frauds aimed at students.
Check that the fund exists and apply through its own official channel. A scheme that exists only on social media, with an application form on a messaging app, is not a bursary.
This page covers how to contact the National Student Financial Aid Scheme in South Africa. The details below were taken from the official National Student Financial Aid Scheme contact page rather than from any third-party directory.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and cannot act on your behalf. Everything on this page is a routing aid so you reach the right official channel quickly.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme contact numbers
These routes were verified against the official National Student Financial Aid Scheme contact page on 23 August 2026. Contact numbers do change, so confirm on the official page before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Payments and balance enquiries | 0800 067 327 |
| General enquiries email | [email protected] |
| Enquiries WhatsApp | +27 63 093 5671 |
| Payments and collections email | [email protected] |
| General queries email | [email protected] |
| Outreach and media | 021 763 3200 |
| Independently operated ethics and fraud hotline | 0800 007 396 |
| Ethics and fraud hotline WhatsApp | 0860 004 004 |
| Ethics and fraud email | [email protected] |
NSFAS never charges to apply and never asks for a payment to release funding. Anyone asking for money to process an application or unlock an allowance is running a scam, and it is one of the most common frauds aimed at students. The ethics line above is for reporting exactly that.
Self-service options before you call
- Check the official site at nsfas.org.za, which carries the current contact details and any online enquiry form.
- WhatsApp on +27 63 093 5671, which works over wifi and leaves you a written record.
- Email to [email protected], which gives you a written record of what you asked and when.
- Calling outside peak times. Monday mornings and the hour after 17:00 are usually the worst for South African contact centres.
What to have ready before you call
- A clear one line summary of what you need resolved.
- Your account, order or reference number if you already have one.
- The identity document or account holder details, since most South African providers verify who you are before discussing an account.
- Dates, amounts and any error message exactly as it appeared.
- A pen and paper for the reference number. Ask for one every time, because without it a follow up call starts from nothing.
Bursaries, funding and the scams around them
- No legitimate bursary charges an application fee. Anyone asking for money to process, secure or release funding is running a scam, and this is one of the most common frauds aimed at students.
- NSFAS applications are free and are made directly through the scheme’s own channels. An agent offering to apply on your behalf for a fee is offering to do something you can do yourself for nothing.
- Read the conditions before accepting. Many bursaries carry a work-back obligation, and the repayment terms if you leave the course or the employer early can be substantial.
- Keep every document you submit. Funding queries are resolved on what was submitted and when, and reconstructing an application afterwards is very hard.
- Check the funder exists. A company bursary is advertised on that company’s own careers site, and a scheme that exists only on social media usually does not exist at all.
Report a suspected bursary or funding scam to the funder’s own fraud line, and to the police. Where NSFAS funding is involved, its ethics and fraud hotline is 0800 007 396.
Complaints and escalation
If a first call does not resolve the matter, escalate through the institution’s own student complaints process first, in writing and quoting the student number. Private institutions must be registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training on 0800 87 2222, and qualification recognition questions go to SAQA on 012 431 5000.
Keep a short written log of each contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the agent and the reference number. Most education complaint processes ask for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
Avoiding fake National Student Financial Aid Scheme contact numbers
Contact details for well known South African brands are a common target for impersonation. Numbers that look official appear in search ads, social media replies and cloned websites, and the person answering is not the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
- Reach National Student Financial Aid Scheme through the official site at nsfas.org.za rather than through a number in a search advert or a social media reply.
- The National Student Financial Aid Scheme will never ask you for your full card number, PIN, CVV, online banking password or a one time PIN. Nobody legitimate needs those to help you.
- Treat any caller who creates urgency, asks you to install remote access software, or asks you to move money to a safe account as fraudulent, and end the call.
- If you are unsure whether a call was genuine, hang up and dial the official number yourself rather than calling back a number the caller gave you.
Related contact pages
Frequently asked questions
What is the National Student Financial Aid Scheme contact number?
The routes are listed in the table above, with what each one is for. The main route is 0800 067 327. Confirm it on nsfas.org.za before relying on it, since numbers are changed from time to time.
How do I know a National Student Financial Aid Scheme number is genuine?
Check it against the official site at nsfas.org.za. A number that only appears in a search advert, a social media reply or a third-party directory should not be trusted for anything involving your account, your money or your identity document.
What should I do if nobody resolves my query?
Ask for the complaint reference and the escalation path on your first call, then follow the escalation route described above. Keep the dates, agent names and reference numbers, because every formal complaint process will ask for them.
Can ContactDetails.co.za resolve this for me?
No. We are an independent directory, not the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and we have no access to your account. Everything here is a routing aid so that you reach the correct official channel with the right information in hand.
Is there a cost to calling these numbers?
South African 0860 and 0861 numbers are charged at a share-call or standard rate depending on your provider, and 0800 numbers are toll free from a landline. Calls from a mobile are billed at your own operator’s rate, so check your plan if cost matters.
Contact routes on this page were checked against the official National Student Financial Aid Scheme source on 23 August 2026. If you find a detail that has changed, the official source is always the authority.