By Motshwari Mofokeng |
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has dismissed a viral claim on social media that a student received over R630,000 from the scheme, calling the post false and misleading.
In a response to an interview, NSFAS stated that it looked into the widely circulated image that supposedly showed a payment of R630,434.44 to a student and found no proof of such a transaction in its financial records.
“Initial checks show that the image being shared online is altered and seems to be generated by AI,” the scheme said. “It does not match any real NSFAS transaction.”
NSFAS believes the content was likely made by a student wanting attention on social media.
“The student involved created this content for social media, probably to gain visibility as part of content creation efforts,” the organization explained.
NSFAS also pointed out that its funding model does not permit such large one-time payments to students. Instead, funds are sent to higher education institutions, which then provide approved allowances to students according to the scheme’s funding rules.
The organization aimed to reassure students and institutions that its financial systems are secure and that no unusual payments or breaches have taken place.
“We want to reassure students, institutions, and the public that NSFAS systems are secure,” the scheme stated.
NSFAS also cautioned that it takes the spread of false information seriously and may take legal action against those who intentionally create or share false information that harms the reputation and integrity of the scheme.
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