Discuss TWO forms of financial assistance that could assist students who need to study but do not have money.
About this question
Question 3.4 of Life Orientation Grade 11, Provincial Examination (North West DoE, November 2025). It tests the Term 1 ATP topic Careers: Future Choices.
- TermTerm 1
- ATP topicCareers: Future Choices
- PaperNW November 2025
- Marks4 marks: 2 points, 2 marks each
Thousands of matriculants are taking the first steps out into the real world and the career choices they make today, at the age of 17 or 18, may impact the rest of their lives.
Should they consider careers that offer the best chances of securing employment or perhaps lucrative salaries? Or should they put all reason aside and follow their hearts and their passions?
Unfortunately, there is no straight, or correct, answer to this conundrum; each person will have their own opinions and offer advice based on their circumstances, values and experiences.
[Adapted from IOL Business]
Two forms of financial assistance that could assist students who need to study but do not have money are:
- NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) is a government scheme that pays for the studies of qualifying students from poor households at public universities and TVET colleges.
- A bursary is money given by a company, government department or organisation to pay for a student's studies, and it usually does not have to be repaid, although the student may have to work for the sponsor afterwards.
Other points that earn marks
- Scholarships are awarded for academic merit, talent or leadership and do not have to be repaid.
- Student loans from banks pay for studies but must be repaid with interest after graduation.
- Learnerships pay a stipend while the learner trains and works.
More Questions On Careers: Future Choices
C: NSFAS.
NSFAS (the National Student Financial Aid Scheme) is the government scheme that funds students from poor and working-class homes at universities and TVET colleges. The NBT is a benchmark test, the NQF is the qualifications framework and the APS is the admission point score.
Three reasons why the Admission Points Score (APS) is important for matric learners are:
- It shows learners whether they qualify for the course or institution they want to apply to.
- It helps learners to set clear marks targets for each subject so that they work harder.
- Institutions use it to rank and select applicants, so a higher APS improves the chance of being accepted.
Three practical ways to move out of a job you feel stuck in are:
- Do a self-assessment of your personality, abilities, interests and skills to see what kind of work suits you.
- Research other career options and their growth opportunities, for example by job shadowing or talking to people in those careers.
- Study part-time or do short courses to gain the qualifications needed for the new career.
Medical doctor. Only a few universities offer medicine and they have limited places, so they require a very high APS score and high marks in Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences.
Two other types of financial assistance available, apart from bursaries, are:
- Study loan: A bank or NSFAS lends you money to pay for your studies. It gives access to study when you have no other funding, but you must pay it back with interest once you finish studying, so you may start your career in debt.
- Learnership: You apply through a SETA or an employer and work while you study, earning a stipend and gaining work experience. You do not have to pay it back, but it is linked to a specific job and industry, so your study choices are limited.