Only the universities we’ve confirmed a fee for are listed. No fee here yet usually just means we haven’t checked it – not that it’s free. The university’s own page (linked on its page here) always has the current amount.
Open right now
NSFAS closes on 18 November 2026. It is a separate application from applying to a university – doing one doesn’t do the other.
Checked on an official page
NSFAS funding for 2027
National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)
Closes: 18 November 2026
For: Any course at a public university or TVET college
Who can apply: South African citizens studying (or applying to study) at a public university or TVET college, with a combined household income of R350,000 or less per year (R600,000 or less with a disability; R122,000 for students who registered before 2018). SASSA grant recipients (Child Support, Foster Care, Care Dependency) automatically meet the income test. Confirmed directly from nsfas.org.za's own "bursary scheme" page.
Applications opened 18 September 2026 and close 18 November 2026; funding outcomes are communicated in December. One other website gave 31 October - the Minister’s launch speech and the SAnews report both say 18 November.
For: Engineering diplomas at a university of technology (electrical, mechanical, civil, chemical, measurement control & instrumentation, BEng Tech)
Who can apply: South African citizen, not already holding another bursary, with Grade 11 final or Grade 12 results showing English level 4, Mathematics level 4 and Physical Science level 4, and conditional acceptance to an engineering diploma at a University of Technology.
This is Eskom's Engineering Diploma stream specifically - the page we read states Grade 11 year-end results will be considered but the final decision depends on 2026 matric results. Eskom also runs an Engineering Degree stream and a Non-Technical stream (accounting, law, nursing, psychology, data science, supply chain) covering the same 22 September 2026 closing date per secondary sources, but we have not independently fetched those pages, so only the Diploma stream is shown here.
FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Undergraduate Bursary
FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (administered by StudyTrust)
Closes: 30 September 2026
For: Commerce, Engineering, Science and Technology
Who can apply: Black South African citizens as defined by the B-BBEE Act; Grade 12 Mathematics (not Maths Literacy) at least level 5; not older than 21 in their first year of study; provisionally admitted to a South African public traditional university to start a first degree in 2027; combined family gross annual income up to R700,000.
Application season runs 1 June to 30 September each year.
For: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), Business and Commercial fields
Who can apply: South African citizen by birth; full-time undergraduate study at a South African tertiary institution; Matric with exemption and an average of 70% or higher for new applicants, or 65% or higher if already at tertiary level.
For: Engineering and Science (full-time undergraduate)
Who can apply: "Exceptional young South African talent" studying full-time Engineering or Science. UNISA (distance) studies are not considered.
Applications opened 1 April 2026 and closed 17 May 2026, with outcomes by the end of September 2026. Sasol says recipients "can begin their careers at Sasol after completing their degrees" - the exact contractual work-back terms aren’t published on the page we found, so don’t assume specifics. Search "Sasol Bursaries" if the link above doesn’t take you straight there.
For: Mainly STEM, with limited places for some non-STEM fields (e.g. Accounting, Financial Sciences)
Who can apply: Academically talented learners/students from Sasol’s local communities, children of Sasol employees, and children of Sasol Khanyisa shareholders; aimed at low-income and "missing middle" households.
Window was 1-23 August 2026. This is a different, more targeted programme from the Mainstream bursary above - check which one you actually qualify for before applying.
For: Any (the Fellowship funds the person, not a specific field)
Who can apply: Current Grade 12 learners, no older than 21, South African citizens.
Closed 30 April 2026 at 17h00 SAST, with an online interview around 31 July and a selection camp in September 2026. Unlike some corporate bursaries, the Foundation’s own announcement says Fellows "are not tied to working for a specific organisation" afterwards - there’s no employer work-back requirement.
Who can apply: Young South Africans with academic potential and financial need, from first year through to Honours.
Aggregator sites describe it as covering the "full cost" of study, but we could not confirm the exact coverage on Investec’s own page in this pass. Search "Investec Tertiary Bursary" if the link above doesn’t take you straight there.
SAICA (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants)
Closes: date not confirmed
For: SAICA-accredited BCom Accounting (the CA(SA) route)
Who can apply: South African citizen; Black African or Coloured; in Grade 12 or no more than two years out of school; at least 60% (level 5) in Mathematics; combined family income of R350,000 a year or less; must apply for and write the National Benchmark Tests (NBTs) before the end of August.
The eligibility rules above are confirmed on SAICA’s own "Apply to the Thuthuka Bursary" page, but its closing date and time were not shown there - sources disagree on both the exact date and whether it’s an AM or PM cut-off, so we show no deadline rather than guess. Search "SAICA Thuthuka" and confirm the current closing date yourself.
For: B.Ed degree or PGCE, specialising in two or more priority teaching subjects/phases (e.g. Mathematics, Science, languages, Foundation Phase, Technology)
Who can apply: South African citizen under 30; accepted into an approved B.Ed or PGCE programme specialising in two or more priority areas; an exemption/endorsement or "admission to bachelor degree studies" matric pass; at least a level 4 (50%) pass in the matric subject linked to the chosen priority area (Foundation Phase specialists also need a Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy pass plus level 4 Home Language; Technology/CAT specialists without those subjects at matric need at least level 4 Mathematics); does not fund extended programmes. Recipients must teach at a public school - wherever placed by a Provincial Education Department - for the same number of years the bursary was held.
New applications for the 2027 academic year close 31 January 2027 (secondary sources say returning bursars close earlier, 30 November 2026, which we have not independently confirmed). This closes a gap flagged in an earlier Studypath pass, which found DBE pages confirming eligibility but no 2027-specific closing date. Coverage amounts (tuition, accommodation, stipend) are not itemised on either official page we read (the main site or its National Selection Criteria PDF).
For: Mining-related disciplines - the company describes its intake as "60% core and critical, 30% non-core but mining-related, 10% other disciplines", varying annually; Engineering applicants specifically need Mathematics and Physical Science
Who can apply: 18-35 years old; South African citizen with a valid ID; National Senior Certificate with at least 60% in all subjects (Engineering applicants need at least 70% in Mathematics and Physical Science); current tertiary students must maintain at least 60% average in major subjects; full-time study; a 3-page CV is required.
Closing date is for the 2027 academic year, per Harmony’s own careers page.
For: Engineering, mining, metallurgy, electrical (heavy current), chemistry, geology, accounting and survey, and human resources (BCom) - several to Honours level
Who can apply: Specific academic thresholds are not itemised on the page we read; applicants download and complete Implats’ own bursary application form and email it to bursaries@implats.co.za. Recipients must work for the company for the full period of the bursary and complete vacation work each year.
The page we read does not state a closing date for the current intake - aggregator sites claim 31 August, but we could not confirm that on implats.co.za itself, so we show no deadline rather than guess. Email bursaries@implats.co.za to confirm the current window.
For: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and green-economy fields
Who can apply: South African citizen; proven financial need based on household income; at least 65% average including 65% in subjects relevant to the chosen degree; Mathematical Literacy does not qualify; admission to a South African public university or university of technology.
Nedbank’s own page states applications for the 2027 academic year are already closed, with the next window opening in 2027 for 2028 study - so no deadline is shown here rather than guessed. Other (non-Nedbank) sources describe an annual 1 February - 30 April window, which we have not independently confirmed on Nedbank’s own page.
For: Any undergraduate or postgraduate programme at an accredited Post-School Education and Training (PSET) institution (university or TVET college)
Who can apply: South African citizen aged 18-35; resident in Gauteng (proof of residence required); completed matric and accepted at an accredited PSET institution. The top 3 Grade 12 learners from Gauteng no-fee, SSIP and LSEN government schools automatically qualify but must still apply online.
The page we read states the bursary application is closed for the current cycle but does not itself state the exact closing date it used (a secondary source claimed 28 February 2026, which we have not confirmed on the Gauteng government page), so we show no deadline rather than guess. Check the page directly for when the next cycle opens.
Western Cape Government (Department of Infrastructure)
Closes: date not confirmed
For: Engineering and built-environment degrees/diplomas: property studies, geomatics, electrical/electronic engineering, civil engineering, construction management, mechanical engineering, quantity surveying, town/city and regional planning, architecture
Who can apply: Full-time study at UCT, Stellenbosch University or CPUT only. The programme states it prioritises disadvantaged learners, especially women, students with disabilities and learners from rural communities. Awards are competitive and, in the page’s own words, "not guaranteed".
The page states applications close "31 August" every year but does not state which year on that notice itself (the page separately references both a 2026 date and a "2027 Advert" document elsewhere), so we show no deadline rather than guess the year. Limited to study at UCT, Stellenbosch or CPUT specifically.
Pattern worth knowing: most of the bursaries above close between April and September of your matric year – months before most university applications do. A learner who only starts looking for funding after getting their matric results will have missed nearly all of them. If you’re in Grade 11, the November before matric is the right time to start checking these pages.
Not from an official source
We saw a different closing date (31 October) on at least one other website. The Minister’s own launch speech and the SAnews report both say 18 November, so we use that - but always confirm on nsfas.org.za.
Not from an official source
To qualify, you need South African citizenship, a place (or application) at a public university or TVET college, and a combined household income of R350,000 or less per year - R600,000 or less if you or a sibling has a disability. Anyone whose household already receives a SASSA grant (Child Support, Foster Care or Care Dependency) automatically meets the income test. Students registered before 2018 fall under an older, lower threshold of R122,000.
Three questions, straight from NSFAS’s own eligibility rules. This is not an application and does not send anything anywhere.
Checked Thresholds read directly from NSFAS’s own "bursary scheme" page. This checks the household-income rule only – NSFAS also requires a place (or application) at a public university or TVET college, and meeting it doesn’t guarantee funding. Apply at nsfas.org.za.
More bursaries?
We list a bursary only when we’ve read its closing date and terms on the provider’s own page. Researching them is ongoing, so the list is short on purpose.
Many bursaries are offered by companies, professional bodies and the universities themselves, and most are aimed at particular fields of study. We haven’t verified any beyond NSFAS yet, so we don’t list them.
The provider’s own website (never a site that asks you to pay)
Your school’s guidance teacher
Stay safe
Advice, not from an official source Nobody legitimate charges you to apply for a bursary or to “secure” a place. If someone asks for money up front, it’s a scam.
TUT warns that it "will never charge any prospective student money for making enquiries" and asks you to report scams to its ethics hotline, 0800 006 924.