NSFAS dismisses viral R630,000 student payment claim

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has dismissed viral claims on social media that a student received a payment of more than R630,000, describing the allegation as false and misleading.

In a statement, the scheme said preliminary investigations indicate that the image circulating online was manipulated and may have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI), with no connection to any legitimate NSFAS transaction.

The incident has nonetheless reignited concerns among students about the possibility of receiving erroneous payments.

This follows the widely publicised 2017 case in which Sibongile Mani was mistakenly paid R14 million by Walter Sisulu University’s service provider, Intellimali.

Although NSFAS maintained it was not responsible for the error, Mani was later convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in March 2022 for spending more than R800,000 of the funds.

I would send it back as well, not after what happened to that girl 😭😭

— Ntombi Chiburre (@NtombiChiburre) March 15, 2026

After what happened to that Mani lady, she made the right decision

— Kgomo Letsoalo (@LetsoaloRant) March 15, 2026

NSFAS spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, clarified that the scheme does not make large lump-sum payments directly to students. Instead, funding is transferred to universities, which then distribute allowances to qualifying students in line with strict financial controls.

NSFAS has assured students and institutions that its systems remain secure, stressing that there has been no irregular payment or security breach linked to the claim.

The scheme further warned that it takes the spread of misinformation seriously and may consider legal action against individuals who deliberately create or share false information that damages its reputation.

Members of the public have been urged to rely on official NSFAS communication platforms for accurate and verified updates.

🚨 Important Notice: NSFAS Clarifies Misleading Social Media Claim of R630,000 Student Payment

This claim is false and misleading❌. #NSFAS2026 pic.twitter.com/ocbcXczVZk

— NSFAS (@myNSFAS) March 17, 2026

⚠️ Misinformation Alert
The viral claim that a student received R630,434.44 from NSFAS is FALSE.
The image circulating online is manipulated/AI-generated, and no such payment has been made.
Follow official NSFAS platforms for verified information.#NSFAS2026 #FakeNewsAlert pic.twitter.com/w1oxXju1bv

— NSFAS (@myNSFAS) March 17, 2026

Written by: Realeboga Nke