The answer is yes; even if you are awarded the R350 grant, you will still have the opportunity to be approved for NSFAS and receive NSFAS funding. However, in order to qualify for the R350 grant, you can’t be a recipient of any funds from the NSFAS. This is one of the requirements.
If you are a beneficiary of the NSFAS and you apply for the grant, it is highly likely that your application will be denied and you will not receive the grant. If you are currently receiving the grant and you apply for NSFAS during that time, SASSA will most likely mark you as someone who no longer qualifies for the grant (should you be accepted by NSFAS), and your payments will stop.
If you are currently receiving the grant and you apply for NSFAS during that time, Every month, SASSA conducts a check to see if currently receiving beneficiaries are still eligible.
According to the criteria for receiving funding from the NSFAS, applicants whose combined household income is greater than R350 000 do not meet the requirements to receive funding. Since the COVID-19 grant is not currently one of the eligibility requirements for student funding, the R350 is not taken into consideration.
