Bursaries: SA Government Funding

Undergraduate students are invited to apply for the SA government’s employment & labour department Compensation Fund Bursary Scheme (COID).

This bursary covers tuition fees, prescribed study material, monthly stipend, and accommodation. The award is renewable every year – for the duration of the enrolled study programme – depending on the availability of funds and academic performance.

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:

• certified copy of ID (student and parents/legal guardians)
• certification and verification of physical disability, if you are a student living with a disability
• proof of COID pensioner parent-/guardianship, if you are the dependent of a COID pensioner or a dependent of a fatally injured worker
• proof of income for parents/legal guardians

To apply, you will need to complete the

Applications are closed for 2025.

Fasset is The Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority and refers to organisations served by this sector, including investment entities and trusts and company secretary services; stockbroking and financial markets; financial development organisations; accounting, bookkeeping, auditing and tax services; business and management consulting services; the South African Revenue Service; the national and provincial treasuries; and other activities auxiliary to financial intermediation, such as debt collection.

Fasset partners with public providers from universities and universities of technology registered with DHET to ensure that learners are fully bursared to obtain formal qualifications that will ultimately enhance their chances of securing learnerships, internships, or full time employment in the broader economy, including in the Fasset sector.

Selection criteria and eligibility (for unemployed learners)

• Only South African citizens are eligible to apply
• A learner must be from home where the combined household income does not exceed R1 000 000 per annum (R83 333 per month)
• Learners must be registered or have been accepted at a public university, university of technology, or TVET colleage
• The selected qualifications should be within FAS sector however preference will be given to IT related qualifications and other national critical skills

What does the bursary cover?

The bursary funding will be capped at R100 000 for university learners. This covers tuition fees, prescribed textbooks, accommodation, and meal allowances only.

Required support documents

The following mandatory documents should accompany the application form:

• Certified ID copy of learner (not older than 6 months on submission)
• Certified ID copies of parents/guardians (not older than 6 months on submission)
• Certified copies of highest qualifications and academic record (not older 6 months on submission)
• Learners in grade 12 must submit trial examination results
• Proof of household income (pay slips of both parents or a guardian – affidavits are required in the absence of pay slips)
• Proof of registration or acceptance letter from the university
• Proof of residence
• Document

  fasset-unemployment-declaration-form.pdf (101.92 KB)

  FASSET unemployment declaration form
   (for unemployed applicants)

Selection will be on a first come first served basis. However, priority will be given to academic achievement.

Applications are closed for 2025.

Make a difference. Become a teacher.

The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme – adminsitered by the SA government’s basic education department – is a multi-year programme to promote teaching as a profession. Prospective students – aged 30 or younger – who have been accepted by the University to study towards a 4-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) or Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Senior Phase and FET teaching are eligible; the teaching qualification must, however, meet the national priority subject areas.

What are the national priority subject areas?

• Foundation Phase (ie. grades R – 3): Foundation Phase (with preference for South African Indigenous Languages) neurodevelopment needs, Braille, SASL.
• Intermediate and Senior Phase (ie. grades 4 – 9): Preference will be given for a teaching major in two of the following: languages, mathematics, natural science & technology.
• FET phase (ie. grades 10 – 12): Preference will be given for a teaching major in two of the following: accounting, agricultural sciences, agricultural technology, civil technology, computer applications technology, electrical technology, engineering graphics and design, geography, information technology, life sciences, mathematics, mechanical technology, physical sciences, languages, maritime studies, coding and robitics, technical mathematics, and technical science.

What does the bursary cover?

The Funza Lushaka bursary covers most of the recipient’s essential expenses. Expenses covered may include tuition fees, accommodation including meals, books and learning materials, and if possible, a small allowance for a monthly living expenses. The allocation to any individual student is capped at a specific value.

Important repayment note: bursary recipients are required to teach at a public school for the same number of years they received the bursary, so no repayment is required.

For more information on the bursary programme, roles and responsibilities, application and eligibility, selection and money matters, please please review the FAQs on the official government website.

How to apply

Applications are only online.

Visit the Funza Lushaka website for more details on eligibility criteria and instructions on how to apply. There are nine steps to follow to access, register, and then apply via the e-gov portal. Please remember to carefully read the application notes before you apply.

If you have any queries, email [email protected] or call the Department of Basic Education on 012 357 3000.

For first-time applicants: Applications open early-October and close early-February.

For re-applications (for existing/returning students): Applications close end-November.

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 upcoming academic year. 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, environmental science, 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:

• applicants classified as historically disadvantaged individuals
• financially need applicants, with a gross household income of not more than R600 000 per annum (R50 000 per month)
• female applicants
• applicants living in rural communities
• applicants who have applied to study at their local tertiary institutions
• good academic performance

Application form

You can find more information as well as links to an application guide and the application form here (see #4 in application form).

Applications are closed for 2025.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a bursary for a student from a home where the gross household income is not more than R350 000 per annum (R29 167 per month) or for a student with a disability, the gross household income must not be more than R600 000 per annum (R50 000 per month). For students who started studying before 2018, the gross household income must be less than R122 000 per annum (R10 167 per month).

Only South African citizens and all SASSA grant recipients qualify for funding. You do not qualify if you have completed a previous qualification, or have already applied, qualified, and received funding. Funding is for the duration of your study programme, provided you pass your modules and meet the academic requirements.

What does the bursary cover?

The funding covers the cost of registration, tuition fees and learning materials, accommodation (capped and where costs for private accommodation must not exceed costs for a university residence) or transport, living allowance, personal care allowance (for students in catered residences). The amount values are revised annually and aligned with the latest approved Department of Higher Education (DHET) guidelines.

Please note that NSFAS is no longer a full-cost bursary. Prospective and current students are encouraged to also apply annually for SU funding to be considered for top-up funding (for costs not covered by NSFAS allowances); please refer to the Stellenbosch University Funding Opportunities (SUFO) Application Process tab for more details.

What support documents do you need?

NSFAS requires personal information from agencies relating to the employment status and level of income of the parents or guardians/spouse of the applicant.

• NSFAS declaration form is completed by the principal of the school or the social worker. (Non-SASSA only)
• The Orphan and vulnerable child declaration form (for applicants under 18 years) is completed by the social worker. (Non-SASSA only)
• The NSFAS consent form is completed by applicant and/or parent/s, guardian, or spouse. SASSA recipients do not require this form. (Non-SASSA only)
• If an applicant has indicated that they have a legal guardian, they must provide proof of guardianship issued by the court
• Guardianship (not court appointed) applicant to provide NSFAS declaration form
• Disability annexure form: The form must be filled out by a certified, duly registered medical doctor or another suitably qualified professional (such as an optometrist, physiotherapist, or head of the disability unit) who may confirm the student’s status as disabled and specify the kind of support the student needs as well as how the student would benefit from the suggested support

How to apply

1. Visit the NSFAS website.
2. Create your own myNSFAS profile (tab on top right of web page).
3. Complete all the required information.
4. Submit your application.

For any queries, call toll free 0800 0 67 3 27 or email [email protected].

Applications are closed for 2025.

Certain government department funding requires unique eligibility criteria, for example, that the student comes from a specific area/province.