Filter ListStellenbosch University (SU) believes that every student who has the potential to succeed academically should as far as practicable be given the appropriate opportunities. This is why SU strives to provide as much support as possible to students who gain admission to the University but who lack financial financial means to study.
The University is very much aware of the financial need of its students. Unfortunately, though, the University has limited funds at its disposal. Students are encouraged to not only look to the University for financial support, but to also explore other external (private; company; state) funding opportunities. The fact that a student has applied for an SU bursary or funding is not a guarantee in any sense that they will be granted such funding.
The University offers two reliable forms of financial support that students can count on, namely merit awards and the highly beneficial “three children” rebates. These awards and rebates are granted based on merit only and do not consider financial need as an eligibility criteria.
Prospective students (with provisional admission to a study programme; this means you have an 8-digit SU student number) and current undergraduates can apply for financial aid. You must also be a South African citizen or have permanent residence status.
PGCE and PG LLB students may apply for undergraduate SU funding, though please note the funding and available bursaries for these study programmes is extremely limited. These students are therefore urged to also consider private external funding options. The non-SU Funding category is a good starting point to research options.
POSTGRADUATE FUNDING Please visit the Postgraduate Office website.
In the first and last instance, each student at Stellenbosch University is personally responsible for making financial provision for the settlement of their Student Fees account.
A student is granted financial support, regardless of race and gender, in direct proportion to the extent of their financial need as determined by the financial circumstance documentation submitted and verified by a third party. Please note that SU funding is mostly only partial-cost, with allocations varying in value, and therefore full-cost funding is not guaranteed.
CUBL also manages and administers several bursaries on behalf of external donors according to specific qualifying criteria; there are also family bursaries available to students who have proof of descendancy. The Bursary Yearbook additional funding opportunities for the upcoming academic year are listed per faculty.
SU Funding Opportunities for Undergraduates (SUFO) All undergraduate students are encouraged to apply annually to qualify for SU funding. This means you will be registered on the CUBL financial aid databse and can then be considered for any suitable funding for an upcoming academic year. The application process is online and you will be directed to a secure site to complete the application. We recommend you first review the Application Process tab instructions to prepare your support documents before you click ‘Apply Now’.
Merit Awards (UGEA) SU also offers merit awards (Undergraduate Excellence Awards for first-year students and the Senior Merit Bursary for senior students) for year-to-year academic performance.
Sport Bursary Several special bursaries are available for those who have excelled at sport on a provincial or national level.
CUBL manages and administers these bursaries on behalf of external donors and according to specific financial need, academic, and/or other qualifying criteria.
The criteria for SU external donor bursaries differ, so please review this to determine if you are eligible. To be considered, you will also need to complete a unique application form. The application forms part of the SU Funding Opportunities for Undergraduates (SUFO) online process and you will be directed to a secure site to complete the application.
We recommend you first review the Application Process tab instructions to prepare your support documents before you click ‘Apply Now’.
CSA focuses on providing a comprehensive service to prospective and current Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) students that includes the administration of undergraduate bursaries. View the funding options available to FMHS undergraduates.
CUBL bursary officers can assist FMHS students who are SU funded, SU external donor funded, or non-SU funded, however any NSFAS-related queries are to be directed to the SU campus assistance desk at nsfas@sun.ac.za. The SU funding application process is online and you will be will be directed to a secure site to complete the application. We recommend you first review the Application Process tab instructions to prepare your support documents before you click ‘Apply Now’.
Applications are direct via the government and closing dates differ, so please ensure you apply timeously.
Please note Stellenbosch University does not manage the application nor selection process for any government funding; it only assists with the administration of bursary disbursements (payments) to successful recipients under instruction from the government agency.
All NSFAS applicants and current NSFAS-funded students must also apply to Stellenbosch University (SU) Funding Opportunities. The student is then registered on the CUBL database, which ensures you are considered for gap funding (costs not covered by NSFAS allowances). Gap funding includes top-up, shortfall, emergency, and/or graduate debt funding and it aims to bridge the financial gaps not covered by NSFAS. The SU Funding Opportunities application process is online and you will be directed to a secure site to complete the application form. We recommend you first review the Application Process tab for instructions to prepare your support documents before you click ‘Apply now’. IMPORTANT NOTE The University has limited funds available. An application for funding is not a guarantee that funding will be granted.
Eligibility criteria may not necessarily include financial need, and as the application dates also vary, please make sure you research your options and apply timeously.
Stellenbosch University has limited funds available and applying for SU funding is not a guarantee that a student will be granted an award. All prospective and current undergraduate students are encouraged to pursue all available financial assistance avenues and the filter list includes options and resources as a good starting point.
Filter ListThe Bursary Yearbook lists SU-managed as well as private company, trust, and government bursaries and funds. These are grouped by faculty, though we suggest that no matter your study programme, you at least also review all the listings in Section 1 (bursaries for study in most faculties) and in Section 3 (Faculty of Science). Any bursary offered across more than one faculty may only be listed under the Science faculty. Please take note of the differing closing dates and application processes.
All listings that state ‘Applications: SUFO’ mean you need to apply via the SU Funding Opportunities online site.
NOTE The 2025 Bursary Yearbook will be published early-July 2024.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close midnight 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
The Bursary Yearbook is a comprehensive list of financial aid available for the academic academic year.
Bursaries are grouped by faculty and include SU funded bursaries: Review bursaries for most faculties (pages 7-17) and those specifically for FMHS undergraduates (pages 47-48).
As part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ (FMHS) sustained endeavour to realise its values, vision and mission, the faculty actively promotes access to quality education and works hard to ensure student success. The FMHS iThemba Bursary Fund was established in 2015 in support of students who have exhausted all other avenues to access funding for their studies.
The FMHS has limited funding available in 2023 for TygerMatie undergraduate students in financial need.
Please note the following important points about the bursary fund:
How to apply
Step 1 Download and complete the application form.
Step 2 Prepare the required support documents as noted on the application form. Save all these documents as one pdf file. Please include your SU# as a prefix to the file name, ‘12345678-iThemba’.
Step 3 There are two options to deliver your application:
Email your application to tygbursaries@sun.ac.za . Remember to include your SU# in the subject line, ‘SU # / iThemba application’ and double-check you have attached the application form and the support document pdf; or
Hand-deliver your printed application and support documents in a clearly marked envelope to the Bursary Office, Room 1043, Clinical Building, Tygerberg Campus.
Applications closed 22 March 2023. No late applications will be considered.
Stellenbosch University allocates awards where academic merit is the primary consideration based on the final published grade 12 (matric) results for first-year students and the latest examination results for senior students.
The First-Year Merit Bursary has been discontinued and was replaced in 2023 with the new Undergraduate Excellence Awards (UGEA). The First-Year Merit Bursary was awarded for the last time in 2023 to transition the new UGEAs within the same year.
There are four categories of Undergraduate Excellence Awards for first-year students. These awards are granted solely on scholastic or academic achievement. As they are not based on financial need, there is no application process: the final grade 12 results are automaticlaly computer-collated and recipients are identified according to the academic criteria per merit award category.
This academic merit award is for senior undergradaute students from their second to final* year of study. It is granted solely on academic achievement. There is no application process as the previous year’s final results are automatically computer-collated and recipients identified according to the stipulated academic criteria.
*Please note the award cannot be granted retrospectively once a student has graduated, that is, no allocation will be made based on a student’s final-year undergraduate results. The last opportunity to be allocated the Senior Merit Bursary is based on a student’s penultimate year-end undergraduate results.
This section also includes when monies may be paid out, and why an award may be cancelled or reduced.
The Recruitment Bursary has not been allocated to any first year students from 2023 onwards. Current bursary recipients will continue to be supported.
Several special bursaries are available for students who have excelled at sport on a provincial or national level. Please email Maties Sport at matiessport@sun.ac.za or call 021 808 4642 for more details on the requirement documents of your achievement. Review the sporting codes.
This bursary is not awarded nor administered by CUBL and thus not included in the Bursary Yearbook.
Family bursary trusts build a lasting foundation of support and in turn, make our country stronger – as Laurie and Estelle Dippenaar discovered when they started the Dippenaar Family Trust. Over the past 20 years, the Dippenaars have helped more than 350 Stellenbosch University students on their pathway to success through the bursaries provided by the Family Trust.
The Dippenaar Family Trust supports between 15 and 20 students per year, allowing them to focus on their studies and not stress about possibly dropping out due to a lack of funding. Most of the recipients are first-generation university students without the financial resources to take this big step. One such student is Siyabonga Ndlovu – he studied BCom Management Sciences and wants to find ways to create real corporate social value in his future career. His dreams of social entrepreneurship would be just that – a dream – if not for the support received from the Dippenaar Family Trust.
“When a student knows that their studies are covered in full, that there is no gap in funding or shortfall that they have to come up with, there is a confidence that bolsters them to focus on what needs to get done to overcome the challenges of the often-gruelling academic year,” says Arrie Hannekom, ex-head of CUBL.
This bursary is only for undergraduates from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences with an average of 60%. The bursary value is decided by a selection panel who observe the financial need and academic potential of applicants; it varies between R20 000 and R50 000 per year.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM DIPPENAAR-CUG (for current students) or FORM DIPPENAAR-PUG (for prospective students). You will be prompted to upload this document in the SUFO online application.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
The Harry & Doris Crossley Foundations are private funder or grant-making organisations in Cape Town with their focus being on tertiary education and research. Mr and Mrs Crossley saw the benefit of both tertiary education and research, and both left virtually their entire independent estates for the formation of their individual foundations. You can read about the foundation here.
Political and religious studies are the only areas of study that are excluded from receiving funding under the terms of the deed.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM DORIS CROSSLEY-CUG (for current students) or FORM DORIS CROSSLEY-PUG (for prospective students). Remember to include two (2) reference letters to support your application. You will be prompted to upload these documents in the SUFO online application.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
This bursary is awarded primarily on financial need, academic achievement, and leadership potential. All candidates must study two modules of their programmes in Afrikaans. All else being equal, candidates of Hugenote descent will receive preference.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM DU TOIT HUGENOTE-CUG (for current students) or FORM DU TOIT HUGENOTE-PUG (for prospective students). Remember to include the motivational letter to support your application. You will be prompted to upload these documents in the SUFO online application.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
This bursary is only open to undergraduate Engineering students who meet the following eligibility criteria:
The value of the bursary is decided by a selection panel that considers the financial need and academic potential of candidates. Continuation of the bursary depends on academic performance as determined by the DW Ackermann Bursary Fund committee.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM DW ACKERMAN-CUG (for current students) or FORM DW ACKERMANN-PUG (for prospective students). You will be prompted to upload this document in the SUFO online application.
Important note NSFAS-funded students and SU International students (SUI) from the Faculty of Engineering are eligible and encouraged to apply. Please note, however, that SUI engineering students can only apply via email; CUBL will email SUI students with instructions.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
Bursaries are awarded based on financial need and academic merit. The value of the award varies. All students may apply.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM JANNIE MOUTON-CUG (for current students) or FORM JANNIE MOUTON-PUG (for prospective students). You will be prompted to upload this document in the SUFO online application.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
This bursary requests information on leadership positions at school, details of participation in school sport, cultural activities, hobbies and other interests, reasons for your choice of study, and any other information you would like to provide to motivate your application for financial assistance.
Eligibility criteria The student must be registered in either the FMHS or the AgriSciences faculty; and the home language must be Afrikaans.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM PIET NEETHING-CUG (for current students) or FORM PIET NEETHLING-PUG (for prospective students). You will be prompted to upload this document in the SUFO online application.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
Bursaries are awarded based on financial need and academic merit. The value of the award varies. All students may apply.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM PSG -CUG (for current students) or FORM PSG-PUG (for prospective students). You will be prompted to upload this document in the SUFO online application.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
Who qualifies? Students studying towards a law degree; undergraduate Coloured and Black students; preference is given to alumni of Lückhoff High School and/or students from the Stellenbosch area. A bursary is awarded annually by Mr Rodney Africa, an SU alumnus.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM RODNEY AFRICA-CUG (for current students) or FORM RODNEY AFRICA-PUG (for prospective students). You will be prompted to upload this document in the SUFO online application.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
The following criteria – in no order of preference and at the sole discretion of the fund – will be considered in the allocation of bursaries:
In the event of a conflict between the Afrikaans and English versions of this application form, the English version will enjoy preference. This bursary may not be held concurrently with other scholarships, bursaries, or awards, without the consent of the trustees. All applicants must be available for a personal interview with the trustees, at their own cost, if so requested.
Download and complete the FORM SHEILA BRAND (for current students). You will be prompted to upload this document in the SUFO online application. This bursary is not available to prospective students.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
Previous inhabitants and descendants (children and grandchildren) who lived in “Die Vlakte” in Stellenbosch and were forced to move in the 1960s can apply for this bursary. Die Vlakte area is bordered by Muller, Ryneveld, Banghoek, Smuts, Merriman, and Bird Streets. You can read more about this bursary here.
Download and complete the unique application form: FORM VLAKTE-CUG (for current students) or FORM VLAKTE-PUG (for prospective students). You will be prompted to upload this document in the SUFO online application.
SUFO applications for CURRENT STUDENTS open 1 July 2024 and close 30 September 2024.
SUFO applications for PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS open 1 – 31 October 2024 only.
Undergraduate students are invited to apply for the SA government’s 2023 Compensation Fund Bursary Scheme (COID).
This bursary covers tuition fees, book allowance, monthly living allowance, and institution-accredited accommodation costs in alignment with the NSFAS/DHET guidelines.
Please first check whether you meet the eligibility criteria, and then note that you will need to prepare the following support documents to complete your application:
To apply, you will need to complete the application form and upload this along with your support documents.
Applications close at midnight Thursday, 2 March 2023. Late applications will not be accepted.
DALRRD (the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development) intends to award comprehensive bursaries to qualifying applicants currently pursuing and/or intending to further their studies in identified careers in agriculture, land reform, and the rural development sector for the 2023 academic year.
The bursary will cover tuition, accommodation, books, meals, and monthly allowance for students from previously disadvantaged population groups and impoverished persons from poverty-stricken and rural communities.
The application process is by email and students will need to attach documentation to support their application. This includes IDs, death certificate/s (if applicable), certified copies of qualification/s, academic record/Grade 12 results and university acceptance letter, family income (salary slip not older than three months), SASSA (if applicable), and proof of unemployment from Department of Labour (if applicable).
You can find more information here.
Applications close 31 October.
The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme is available to prospective students who have been accepted by the University to study towards a 4-year Bachelor of Education degree, specialising in Foundation Phase (Grade R – 3), Intermediate Phase (Grade 4 – 6) and Senior Phase (FET) (Grade 7 – 12). A bursary is also available for a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
Preference will be given to applicants who wish to study subjects in the three streams model curriculum.
You must be 30 years or younger to qualify for this bursary.
What are the priority subjects?
Foundation Phase (FP) Grades R – 3 with preference for South African indigenous languages.
Intermediate Phase Grades 4 – 6 with preference for a teaching major in two of the following: Languages, Mathematics, and Natural Science & Technology.
Senior Phase (FET) Grades 7 – 12 with preference given for a teaching major in two of the following: Agricultural Technology, Civil Technology, Computer Applications Technology, Electrical Technology, Engineering Graphics & Design, Information Technology, Mathematics, Mechanical Technology, Physical Sciences, Technical Mathematics and Technical Science.
Braille and South African sign language is available in all three phases.
Please note that each province has its own priority subject areas. Applicants are allowed to choose one priority subject from the provincial ones.
What does the bursary cover?
The bursary will pay for tuition fees, accommodation including meals, books and learning materials, and if possible, a small allowance for a monthly living expenses. Bursary recipients are required to teach at a public school equivalent to the duration of the bursary received.
Applications are only online. Visit Funza Lushaka for more information on eligibility criteria, and the e-gov portal to register an online profile. Once you have logged in, go to the e-services menu and choose Funza Lushaka Bursary, then follow the instructions.
If you have any queries, please email inquiries.funzalushaka@dbe.gov.za or call the Department of Basic Education on 012 357 3000.
Applications open 17 October and close 30 November (re-applications for exisiting/returning recipients) and 3 February 2023 (new applications)
The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) is a Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) for the mining and minerals sector, in terms of the Skills Development Act No. 97 of 1988.
The MQA invites Grade 12 learners and current undergraduate students to apply for an MQA bursary for the 2023 academic year.
A total of 700 bursary opportunities will be available, and the bursary covers tuition fees and allowances for accommodation, books, and meals.
Eligibilty
If you are a South African citizen and studying one of the following programmes at a university, you are eligible to apply:
analytical chemistry, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, electro-mechanical engineering, environmental health and management, geology, industrial engineering, jewellery design and manufacturing, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering, mine surveying, mining engineering, occupational health and safety, occupational hygiene, occupational medicine, operations management, or quality management.
Preference will be given to the following aspects in the selection of candidates:
Bursary Application form
You can view the bursary flyer here. It is important that you download the correct form, 2023 Unemployed Bursary Application Form, via the link below.
Applications open 1 August and close 1 September. Late applications will not be considered.
