University Funding Guide
7 min read
Every realistic way to pay for a South African university degree: NSFAS, missing-middle funding, bursaries, scholarships, student loans and institutional aid.
Work out the real cost first
Tuition is only part of it. Budget for registration, accommodation or transport, meals, prescribed books, a laptop and data. At most South African universities the full annual cost of studying while living away from home is considerably higher than the tuition figure quoted in the fee booklet, so know your number before you decide how much funding you need.
1. NSFAS
If your combined household income falls under the published threshold and you are registered at a public university, NSFAS should be your first application. It is free to apply and covers tuition, registration and allowances. Apply for the following academic year as soon as applications open, and keep your myNSFAS details safe.
2. The missing middle
Households earning above the NSFAS threshold but unable to pay fees are often described as the missing middle. Options include the government-backed loan scheme for these students, bank student loans with a parent as surety, employer study assistance schemes, and private bursaries that set their own, higher income limits. Apply widely — this group is exactly who most corporate bursaries are designed for.
3. Corporate and SETA bursaries
Companies fund students in the fields they hire from: engineering, accounting, IT, health sciences, agriculture and the built environment. SETAs fund scarce-skills qualifications in their sectors. These bursaries often include a laptop, mentorship, vacation work and a job on graduation.
4. Institutional and merit awards
Every South African university runs its own financial aid office, merit awards for high matric results, first-year entrance scholarships, sports bursaries and hardship funds. These are frequently under-subscribed because students never ask. Email or visit your financial aid office in your first weeks on campus.
5. Postgraduate funding
Honours, master's and doctoral study is funded differently: NRF and department-linked bursaries, supervisor research grants, university postgraduate merit awards and teaching or research assistantships. Deadlines are usually much earlier in the year than undergraduate ones.
Keep your funding
Almost every source above is renewed on academic performance. Read your funding contract, note the minimum pass or average required, and speak to your funder immediately if you fail a module rather than waiting for the year-end review.