The
combined annual gross income of the parents (or adoptive parents, spouses or legal guardians, whichever is applicable) of the applicant and the applicant. It includes every form of income, both from the formal and informal sector (e.g., salaries, wages, retirement income, near cash government transfers like food stamps, grants, business incomes and investment gains). In terms of the South African legal framework, biological parents are primarily responsible for the student’s maintenance, which includes the provision of education, of their biological children (including those above the age of 18), irrespective of the relationship between parents or the relationship between parents and their children. Legal guardians, as defined, and adoptive parents bear similar responsibilities. The household income is based on this principle, and makes provision for variations to this rule, within the context of the South African legal framework.