The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) said a large number of students had received financial aid for 2017.
NSFAS said in a statement on Thursday that 175 348 students had received financial aid to further their studies at any one of the 26 public universities.
The 'Scheme' said that 67 875 students are entering universities for the first time while 107 474 were returning students.
NSFAS said that although the closing date for applications was 20 January, it expected the number of students requiring NSFAS funding to to increase because some universities were still concluding their exams.
"The Scheme worked tirelessly with the assistance of all the institutions of higher learning and the Department of Higher Education and Training, to ensure that the allocation of financial aid for first-time and returning students are allocated before the end of the academic registration period," the NSFAS statement read.
NSFAS said that the 9 976 applicants whose applications were unsuccessful have been informed and that they can appeal if they wanted to by submitting the "Appeals Form" before closing date in order to be considered by the Appeals Committee.
Meanwhile, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) has asked all NSFAS funded students who have not yet signed their 2016 loan agreement forms to do so urgently.
NMMU said in a statement Thursday that "despite numerous communication and telephonic reminders to the students from last year until now, hundreds of 2016 loan agreement forms remain unsigned."
The statement further explained that the students who have not signed their contracts run the risk of "having their 2016 NSFAS funding revoked, having their 2017 NSFAS funding withdrawn and failure to sign the forms would then mean that they will be liable to pay their 2016 debt and incur the direct cost of their 2017 studies."
NMMU spokesperson, Zandile Mbabela, said theyre are urging those students who have not yet signed their 2016 loan agreement forms, to do so as soon as possible.
