The State and Trend of Bursaries in South Africa (2025/2026)

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Where bursary funding comes from, who qualifies, what changed for 2025, and what to expect for 2026.

South Africa’s bursary ecosystem is multi-channel. The government-funded NSFAS bursary remains the backbone for financially constrained students at public universities and TVET colleges. It is now complemented by a “missing-middle” loan for families just above the bursary threshold.

Alongside NSFAS, teacher education (Funza Lushaka), SETA sector funding, university-administered aid, and corporate/foundation bursaries (often via StudyTrust) form a robust pipeline.

For discovering live opportunities, bursaries-southafrica.co.za is a useful, go-to repository that collates bursary listings and info from multiple sponsors, all in one place.

1) Government Backbone: NSFAS Bursaries (and the New Loan Stream)

Who qualifies (bursary):

SA citizens/permanent residents registered for approved programmes at public universities/TVETs, with combined household income ≤ R350 000 (≤ R600 000 for persons with disabilities), plus academic-progression and N+ rules set in the current guidelines. See: NSFAS Bursary Guidelines 2025 (PDF) and How to Apply.

What’s changing (trend):

  • Missing-middle loan (Comprehensive Student Funding model) for household incomes roughly R350 001–R600 000 at public institutions. See the overview and the 2025 loan guidelines: NSFAS Student Loan • Loan Scheme Guidelines 2025 (PDF).
  • Operations & cash-flow timing: 2025 saw allowance and landlord-payment interventions (e.g., end-March/April advances; August landlord updates). See NSFAS media statements: 26 Mar 2025, 13 Apr 2025, 5 Aug 2025, and the Media Statements page.
  • 2026 cycle: Applications run via myNSFAS and the How to Apply hub; watch for the 2026 bursary guidelines to confirm allowance caps and progression rules.

Allowances & payment channels

Tuition/registration are paid to institutions; allowances may be paid via institutions, to your bank, or the NSFAS Wallet (USSD *134*176#). See the NSFAS Wallet Guide (PDF) and TVET allowance guidance in TVET Funding. Appeals are lodged within 30 days via your portal: NSFAS Appeals.

Where NSFAS funds: Only at public institutions on the NSFAS directory (26 universities and 50 TVETs): NSFAS Institutions. DHET confirms there are 50 public TVET colleges: DHET TVET Map.

2) Priority-Skills Bursaries for Teachers: Funza Lushaka

What it is: A national bursary to train teachers in priority subjects (maths, science, technology, languages). It is competitive and has clear online steps.

3) Sector Funding via SETAs

SETAs fund scarce skills through bursary/discretionary-grant windows that are time-boxed and specify fields, eligibility and caps. Monitor your sector SETA for live windows and calls.

  • merSETA: Grants/criteria and annual plans on the official site.
  • CHIETA: Discretionary Grant adverts with opening/closing dates and priority objectives.
  • EWSETA: Bursary/DG manuals and notices explaining processes and documentation.

Tip: Windows recur (yearly/quarterly). Check each SETA’s website and apply promptly when a call opens.

4) University-Administered Aid

Most public universities operate internal bursaries/scholarships (merit & need) separately from NSFAS, usually requiring an admission offer or student number to access the funding portal. Check your target university’s “Financial Aid/Bursaries” page for dates, forms and steps.

5) Corporate & Foundation Bursaries (Many via StudyTrust)

StudyTrust administers numerous corporate/foundation programmes. A common pattern is applications opening 1 May and closing 30 September for the following academic year (confirm each programme’s page).

Trend: Many corporate bursaries now bundle tuition plus mentoring, vacation work and/or work-back commitments to build talent pipelines.

6) Demand, Equity & the “Missing-Middle” Gap

To reach students above the bursary cap but below market affordability, NSFAS introduced a loan track for households roughly R350 001–R600 000 at public institutions. See the official loan overview and 2025 loan guidelines: Student Loan • Loan Guidelines 2025 (PDF).

7) Administration & Disbursement: What to Expect

  • Allowances & wallet: Follow the year’s NSFAS rules and your institution’s notices; use the official NSFAS Wallet Guide (USSD *134*176#).
  • Timing: Statements in 2025 advanced accommodation payments (end-March / mid-April) and reported ongoing landlord settlements; review the 26 Mar 2025, 13 Apr 2025, and 5 Aug 2025 media statements.

8) Outlook for 2026

  • NSFAS: Apply via myNSFAS and monitor the How to Apply page for the detailed 2026 bursary guidelines PDF.
  • Funza Lushaka: Opens 7 Oct 2025; see portal and 2026 notes.
  • SETA & corporate cycles: Expect May–September application windows; check StudyTrust listings and sponsor pages from May.

Practical Takeaways

  1. Start on official portals: NSFAS How to Apply, Funza Lushaka, your sector SETA, your university funding page, and StudyTrust. For discovery, add bursaries-southafrica.co.za to your bookmarks.
  2. Know your lane: NSFAS bursary if ≤ R350 000 HH income (≤ R600 000 disability); NSFAS loan if R350 001–R600 000.
  3. Prepare documents (ID, admission/registration, income proofs, any special forms) before you start.
  4. Apply early; track weekly: respond quickly to missing-document requests; use your portals for updates and appeals.
  5. Diversify: Pair NSFAS with university and corporate/SETA options; many corporate schemes include mentoring and work-integrated learning.

Sources (Official & Recent)