SU Funding
Prospective and current undergraduate students qualify for SU financial support based on two main criteria: financial need and academic merit
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.
Stellenbosch University Funding Opportunities (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 database 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.
Bursary Yearbook
The 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; the 2026 version will be published by end-June 2025.
Merit Awards
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 was discontinued and 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.
Undergraduate excellence awards (for first-year students)
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 automatically computer-collated and recipients are identified according to the academic criteria per merit award category.
Senior Merit Award (for senior-year students)
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 Award is based on a student’s penultimate year-end undergraduate results.
Important additional notes: Excellence awards and Senior Merit Award
This section also includes when monies may be paid out, and why an award may be cancelled or reduced.
Recruitment Bursary
The Recruitment Bursary has not been allocated since 2023. Current bursary recipients will continue to be supported.
Sport Bursary
Several special bursaries are available for students who have excelled at sport on a provincial or national level. This bursary is not awarded nor administered by CUBL.
Please email Maties Sport at [email protected] or call 021 808 4642 for more details on the requirement documents of your achievement. Review the sporting codes.