Bursaries in South Africa

FUNDING YOUR STUDIES — WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND HOW TO GET IT

Most South African learners who qualify for university never apply for the funding they are entitled to — usually because nobody explained the process in time. This page walks through it.

Start with NSFAS

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme is the largest source of student funding in the country, and for most learners at a public university or TVET college it is the first thing to apply for. It is a bursary, not a loan, for students who meet the household income threshold — you do not pay it back if you meet the academic requirements.

Applications for the 2027 academic year opened in September 2026 and close in January 2027. Apply as early as you can: the system slows badly near the deadline, and a late document can cost you the year.

Who qualifies

• You are a South African citizen or permanent resident.
• Your combined household income is at or below the NSFAS threshold — this has been R350 000 per year for the standard bursary.
• A higher threshold, R600 000 per year, applies to students with a disability.
• If your household receives a SASSA grant, you qualify automatically and the income check is skipped.
• You are registering at a public university or TVET college, on an approved qualification.

Household income means everyone contributing to the home, not just your parents. If a working sibling lives with you, that counts. This catches families out, and it is worth working out honestly before you apply rather than having the verification flag it later.

What it covers

NSFAS funding is not only tuition. Depending on your institution and whether you live in residence, it typically covers registration and tuition fees, accommodation or a private-accommodation allowance, a learning-material allowance, and a living allowance. Students in NSFAS-funded accommodation are not charged separately for it.

Documents you will need

• A certified copy of your ID — both sides.
• Certified IDs for your parents or guardians.
• Your Grade 11 final results and Grade 12 mid-year results.
• Proof of household income: payslips, a SARS ITA34, a SASSA letter, or a sworn affidavit if there is no formal income.
• A signed consent form allowing NSFAS to verify your details with Home Affairs and SARS. First-time applicants cannot submit without this — it is the single most common reason an application never goes through.
• A death certificate or marriage certificate, where either applies to your situation.

Get documents certified early. Police stations do it free, and the queues in January are long.

Beyond NSFAS

NSFAS is the biggest scheme but it is not the only one, and if your household sits just above the threshold it will not help you. Look at these too:

Government department bursaries

Departments such as Health, Basic Education (the Funza Lushaka teaching bursary), Water and Sanitation, and Defence run their own schemes. Most carry a work-back obligation — you serve the department for a set number of years after graduating. That is a real commitment, but it also means a guaranteed job.

Corporate bursaries

Banks, mining houses, engineering firms, insurers and telecoms all fund students, usually in fields they hire from: engineering, accounting, actuarial science, IT, health sciences. These are competitive and often close earlier than university applications, sometimes as early as March or April for the following year.

University merit awards and financial aid

Every public university has its own financial aid office and its own merit bursaries for strong matric results. These are frequently under-applied for. Apply directly to the institution as well as through NSFAS — they are separate processes.

The missing middle

If your household earns too much for NSFAS but not enough to pay fees, you are in what is called the missing middle. A separate loan scheme covers households up to roughly R600 000 per year. Ask your institution's financial aid office about it specifically — it is easy to miss.

Giving yourself the best chance

• Apply to the university and for funding at the same time. They are separate applications with separate deadlines, and a funding award is useless without a place.
• Apply for more than one bursary. There is no penalty for multiple applications, and most learners who get funded applied to several.
• Use your correct details. A mismatched ID number or an old cellphone number is the most common reason a student never hears back.
• Check your status. Applications get flagged for missing documents and then sit there. Nobody will chase you.
• Keep your marks up. Most bursaries require you to pass a set percentage of your modules to keep the funding into second year.

Work out where you can apply first

Before funding comes admission. Your APS score determines which qualifications you can apply for at all, so it is worth calculating before you start filling in bursary forms.

Calculate your APS score

You may also want the full list of public universities in South Africa, or to read what Septa is.