The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) has announced that it will reopen application processes to allow more students to apply for higher education funding in 2017.

"Following the closing of applications, thousands of learners continued to inquire about a possible extension to the applications deadline," said Nsfas executive officer Msulwa Daca.

He was briefing the media on Thursday on the second application period for financial aid in 2017.

Daca said Nsfas consulted on the matter with several stakeholders including student leaders, vice chancellors, the departments of higher education, basic education and social development, and financial aid directors.

Applications will be reopened from January 9 to January 20, the results of which will be made known from February 1.

The learners who applied during the first phase will know if they have been granted study loans before the release of the 2017 matric results in January.

No festive season break

Nsfas said it had already received 233 470 applications, including online and mailed submissions.

"This is the highest [number of] online application[s] we have ever received," said chief information officer Richard Mackinnon-Little.

Daca announced that the offices of the financial aid scheme would not close for the festive season, but would instead dedicate the month to processing all the applications received.

Several operational changes had also been implemented. These include the extension of business hours at the Nsfas contact centre, the employment of temporary staff who will be working night shift, and the approval of overtime for permanent employees.

Nsfas also said 2017 would be a transition year for private accommodation allowances, with all institutions being instructed to accredit their landlords.

The scheme has also committed to spending the better part of the new year addressing challenges around student private accommodation.