Common Bursary Application Mistakes

Leaving it to the closing week

Funder portals slow down and sometimes fall over in the last three days before a deadline, and load shedding does not pause for your upload. Submit at least a week early. If a bursary closes at midnight, treat the closing time as 16:00 on the previous working day so that you can still phone the funder if something goes wrong.

Applying for bursaries you do not qualify for

Every application takes real time. Read the eligibility section first: field of study, minimum average, household income, citizenship, province and institution. If you clearly fall outside the criteria, spend that hour on a bursary you actually fit. Our eligibility checker exists for exactly this reason.

Sending the same motivational letter everywhere

Panels read hundreds of letters and recognise a generic one immediately. At minimum, change the funder's name, mention what the organisation does, and connect your field of study to their industry. A mining company funding a nursing student wants to hear how you understand health in mining communities.

Other mistakes that cost students funding

• Uncertified or expired certified copies
• Photographs of documents taken at an angle, or files too large to upload
• An informal email address, or an email address you never check
• A phone number that goes unanswered — many funders phone shortlisted students once
• Leaving out proof of income because 'they will ask if they need it'
• Exaggerating results or claiming subjects you did not take; funders verify with the Department of Basic Education and institutions
• Applying to only one or two bursaries
• Ignoring the appeal or feedback date and never following up

Never pay to apply

Legitimate South African bursaries do not charge an application fee and never ask for payment to 'secure' or 'guarantee' an award. If someone asks for money, an upfront 'admin fee' or your banking PIN, it is a scam. Apply only through the funder's own website.