List of TVET Colleges Funded by NSFAS

List of TVET Colleges Funded by NSFAS. If you’re planning to study at a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college in South Africa, one of the first things you’ll want to know is whether your college of choice is funded by NSFAS. The good news is simple: all 50 public TVET colleges in South Africa are funded by NSFAS, provided you meet the scheme’s academic and financial eligibility requirements.

This guide gives you the complete, province-by-province list of NSFAS-funded TVET colleges, plus answers to the most common related questions from nursing colleges and distance learning to how to apply online.

Are All TVET Colleges Funded by NSFAS?

Yes. NSFAS (the National Student Financial Aid Scheme) funds every public TVET college registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). If your household’s combined annual income is R350,000 or less (or R600,000 or less for applicants with a disability), and you’re accepted into an NC(V) or NATED (Report 191) programme, you qualify to apply. NSFAS covers tuition and offers various financial support options that, depending on the college and programme, can also include accommodation, transport, and a living allowance.

Private colleges, including private nursing colleges, are not funded by NSFAS, no matter how similar their courses look to public TVET programmes.

Read Also: Is Berea Technical College Funded by NSFAS?

Full List of TVET Colleges Funded by NSFAS, by Province

Eastern Cape (8 colleges)

• Buffalo City TVET College
• Eastcape Midlands TVET College
• Ikhala TVET College
• Ingwe TVET College
• King Hintsa TVET College
• King Sabata Dalindyebo TVET College
• Lovedale TVET College
• Port Elizabeth TVET College

Free State (4 colleges)

• Flavius Mareka TVET College
• Goldfields TVET College
• Maluti TVET College
• Motheo TVET College

Gauteng (8 colleges)

• Central Johannesburg TVET College
• Ekurhuleni East TVET College
• Ekurhuleni West TVET College
• Sedibeng TVET College
• South West Gauteng TVET College
• Tshwane North TVET College
• Tshwane South TVET College
• Western College for TVET (Westcol)

KwaZulu-Natal (9 colleges)

• Coastal KZN TVET College
• Elangeni TVET College
• Esayidi TVET College
• Majuba TVET College
• Mnambithi TVET College
• Mthashana TVET College
• Thekwini TVET College
• Umfolozi TVET College
• Umgungundlovu TVET College

Limpopo (7 colleges)

• Capricorn TVET College
• Lephalale TVET College
• Letaba TVET College
• Mopani South East TVET College
• Sekhukhune TVET College
• Vhembe TVET College
• Waterberg TVET College

Mpumalanga (3 colleges)

• Ehlanzeni TVET College
• Gert Sibande TVET College
• Nkangala TVET College

North West (3 colleges)

• Orbit TVET College
• Taletso TVET College
• Vuselela TVET College

Northern Cape (2 colleges)

• Northern Cape Rural TVET College
• Northern Cape Urban TVET College

Western Cape (6 colleges)

• Boland TVET College
• College of Cape Town for TVET
• False Bay TVET College
• Northlink TVET College
• South Cape TVET College
• West Coast TVET College

That’s 50 public TVET colleges across all nine provinces, every one of them eligible for NSFAS funding.

List of TVET Colleges Funded by NSFAS in KZN

KwaZulu-Natal has the most TVET colleges of any province — nine in total, all NSFAS-funded:

1. Coastal KZN TVET College (Durban)
2. Elangeni TVET College (Pinetown)
3. Esayidi TVET College (Port Shepstone)
4. Majuba TVET College (Newcastle)
5. Mnambithi TVET College (Ladysmith)
6. Mthashana TVET College (Vryheid)
7. Thekwini TVET College (Durban)
8. Umfolozi TVET College (Empangeni)
9. Umgungundlovu TVET College (Pietermaritzburg)

Between them, these colleges run dozens of campuses covering Durban, Pietermaritzburg, the North Coast, South Coast, and rural KZN, so there’s an NSFAS-funded option within reach of most students in the province.

List of TVET Colleges Funded by NSFAS in Pretoria

If you’re based in Pretoria (Tshwane), you have two dedicated public TVET colleges, both NSFAS-funded:

• Tshwane North TVET College campuses in Soshanguve, Rosslyn, Temba, Mothutlung, and central Pretoria
• Tshwane South TVET College campuses in Atteridgeville, Centurion, Odi, and Pretoria West

Both offer NC(V) and NATED programmes in fields like engineering, business studies, IT, and hospitality.

Read Also: Does NSFAS Fund Short Courses at UNISA?

List of TVET Colleges Funded by NSFAS in Limpopo

Limpopo has seven public, NSFAS-funded TVET colleges:

1. Capricorn TVET College (Polokwane)
2. Lephalale TVET College (Lephalale)
3. Letaba TVET College (Tzaneen)
4. Mopani South East TVET College (Phalaborwa)
5. Sekhukhune TVET College (Groblersdal)
6. Vhembe TVET College (Sibasa)
7. Waterberg TVET College (Mokopane)

These colleges serve both urban centres and rural districts across the province, with a strong focus on agriculture, engineering, and community-based skills training.

List of TVET Colleges Funded by NSFAS in Cape Town

The Western Cape has six public TVET colleges, and three are based directly in Cape Town:

• College of Cape Town for TVET: Multiple campuses across the city
• False Bay TVET College: Muizenberg and surrounds
• Northlink TVET College: Goodwood and other northern suburbs campuses

The remaining Western Cape colleges Boland (Stellenbosch), South Cape (George), and West Coast (Malmesbury) also fall under NSFAS funding and serve students commuting from Cape Town’s wider metro region.

List of Colleges Funded by NSFAS in Johannesburg / Gauteng

Gauteng has eight NSFAS-funded public TVET colleges, several of them based in or near Johannesburg:

• Central Johannesburg TVET College
• South West Gauteng TVET College
• Ekurhuleni East TVET College
• Ekurhuleni West TVET College
• Sedibeng TVET College
• Tshwane North TVET College and Tshwane South TVET College
• Western College for TVET (Westcol)

These are all free (public) colleges in the sense that NSFAS-qualifying students pay no tuition, accommodation, or transport costs out of pocket.

Read Also: Colleges in Bloemfontein With NSFAS

Are There Nursing Colleges Funded by NSFAS?

This is where things get a little more complicated, and it’s worth being precise about it:

• NSFAS does fund nursing programmes offered at public universities (for example, a Bachelor of Nursing or BCur at UJ, Wits, UP, or UWC).
• NSFAS does not fund South Africa’s dedicated public nursing colleges (such as the Gauteng College of Nursing, KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing, or Limpopo College of Nursing), because these fall under the various provincial Departments of Health rather than DHET, and are not classified as public universities or TVET colleges.
• NSFAS does not fund private nursing colleges at all (Netcare, Life, Mediclinic Education, and similar).

If you want to study nursing and need funding, your two main routes are:

1. NSFAS, if you’re accepted into a nursing degree at a public university.
2. Provincial Department of Health bursaries, which fund students at government nursing colleges and often require a return-of-service commitment after graduation.

Government nursing college applications typically close many months before the intake (often the year before), so it pays to apply early and check each provincial Department of Health’s website directly.

Distance Learning Colleges Funded by NSFAS

NSFAS funding is tied to registration at a qualifying public institution, not to the delivery mode itself. In practice, this means:

• University of South Africa (UNISA), South Africa’s dedicated distance-learning public university, is NSFAS-funded for qualifying students.
• Public TVET colleges are primarily contact-based, though some offer blended or part-time NC(V) and NATED options check directly with the specific college, since offerings vary by campus and programme.
• Private online/distance colleges are not NSFAS-funded, regardless of how they’re marketed.

If distance learning is your priority, UNISA remains the main NSFAS-eligible option for fully remote study.

How to Apply for NSFAS at a TVET College

1. Go to the official NSFAS website: www.nsfas.org.za
2. Create a myNSFAS account using your South African ID.
3. Apply during the official application window (typically September to January each year).
4. Upload supporting documents: certified ID copy, proof of household income (or SASSA letter), and proof of acceptance or application to your chosen TVET college.
5. Track your application status through your myNSFAS account. If you’re having trouble checking your payment status, read this article NSFAS Status Check.

Applications are free. NSFAS will never ask you to pay an agent, “fast-track” fee, or third party to apply on your behalf treat any such request as a scam.

NSFAS TVET Eligibility Checklist

• South African citizen with a valid ID
• Combined household income of R350,000 or less per year (R600,000 for applicants with a disability)
• Accepted into, or already registered for, an NC(V) or NATED (Report 191) qualification
• No previous completed qualification at NSFAS-funding level
• Meeting the college’s minimum academic entry requirements (generally Grade 9 and above, depending on the programme)

Conclusion

Whichever province you’re in Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape, or Western Cape there is at least one NSFAS-funded public TVET college within reach. Confirm your specific college and campus on the official NSFAS institutions list at nsfas.org.za before applying, since campus offerings and programme availability can change from year to year.