Stellenbosch University is inviting current and prospective postgraduate students to apply for its Postgraduate Scholarship Programme (PSP) for 2027. The PSP is one of the university’s flagship postgraduate funding programmes and provides full and partial scholarships across multiple faculties for eligible Honours, Master’s and Doctoral students. Applications opened on 10 August 2026 and close on 30 September 2026.
At a glance
Sponsor/host: Stellenbosch University
Opportunity type: Postgraduate scholarship programme
Academic year funded: 2027
Study levels: Honours, Master’s and Doctoral, subject to individual faculty criteria
Study mode: Full-time
Who it’s for: Current and prospective postgraduate students who meet the admission and scholarship criteria of the relevant Stellenbosch University faculty
Funding type: Full and partial scholarships
Application opening date: 10 August 2026
Closing date: 30 September 2026
Application method: Separate online application according to the applicant’s faculty
Last verified: 14 August 2026
High-value notes (read this first)
- The PSP application is separate from the postgraduate admission application. Applicants need to deal with both processes.
- Each faculty has its own academic, programme and document requirements, so applicants must read the criteria for their faculty before applying.
- Full and partial scholarships are available, and international students may also apply, subject to faculty criteria.
- Applicants who previously received NSFAS or ISFAP funding during their undergraduate studies should include proof of that funding with their application documents.
- Students receiving the maximum/full PSP scholarship may not receive additional supplementary funding.
- Late, incomplete or inaccurate applications will not be considered.
- If no feedback is received within three months after the closing date, applicants should regard their application as unsuccessful.
About the sponsor
Stellenbosch University administers the Postgraduate Scholarship Programme through its Postgraduate Funding Office. The PSP is designed to support emerging postgraduate research talent and strengthen access to postgraduate education and research across the university.
Applicants must first identify the postgraduate programme they wish to study, determine which faculty it falls under, check that faculty’s PSP requirements and then use the corresponding faculty application form.
What it covers
Stellenbosch University confirms that the PSP offers full and partial scholarships.
The exact scholarship amount is not uniform across the university. Funding levels and award values differ according to:
- Faculty
- Study level
- Academic criteria
- Availability of funding
- Whether co-funding is required for the particular faculty or programme
Applicants should therefore check the PSP 2027 call document for the exact scholarship value offered by their faculty.
Eligibility
Because each faculty establishes its own criteria, applicants must check the requirements for their specific faculty and postgraduate qualification.
Common requirements across the PSP include:
- Applicants must meet the admission requirements of their intended postgraduate degree.
- Study should generally be on a full-time basis.
- Applicants may not already hold a qualification at the same academic level or a higher level than the qualification for which they are applying.
- Students who work full-time or more than 20 hours per week are generally not eligible.
- Applicants for postgraduate diplomas are not eligible under the general PSP criteria.
- Successful applicants generally may not hold another full scholarship together with the PSP award.
- Continued funding is subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Applicants should not assume that one faculty’s academic threshold applies to another. Some faculties require 60%, others 65% or 70%, and certain programmes have additional research, supervisor or co-funding requirements.
Faculties participating
The 2027 PSP call provides separate criteria and application routes for:
- AgriSciences
- Arts and Social Sciences
- Economic and Management Sciences
- Education
- Engineering
- Law
- Medicine and Health Sciences
- Military Science
- Science
- Theology
Applicants must apply through the form corresponding to the faculty in which their intended postgraduate programme is housed.
Documents to prepare
Document requirements vary by faculty, but applicants should prepare the following where applicable:
- South African ID or passport for international applicants
- Complete academic record
- Degree certificates
- Concise academic CV
- Research or academic writing sample
- Master’s or Doctoral research concept note / preliminary proposal, where required
- Letter of support or recommendation from a prospective supervisor, where required
- Proof of previous NSFAS or ISFAP funding, if applicable
Some faculty applications require all supporting documents to be combined into one PDF before uploading. Applicants should follow their faculty instructions exactly.
Important faculty differences
Applicants should pay particular attention to faculty-specific requirements.
For example, AgriSciences requires Master’s and Doctoral applicants to meet a 65% academic threshold and Honours applicants to have at least 65% in the relevant or closely related subject. Its application also requires academic records, a writing sample, research idea for Master’s/Doctoral applicants, supervisor recommendation and academic CV.
Other faculties impose different requirements. Some restrict Master’s funding to research-intensive programmes, require higher Honours averages, require an approved supervisor, or require co-funding from the academic department. Applicants must therefore use the individual faculty criteria rather than relying on a general academic threshold.
Closing date
30 September 2026.
Applications opened on 10 August 2026.
No late, incomplete or inaccurate applications will be considered. Applicants should submit well ahead of the deadline, particularly because they need to identify the correct faculty, prepare supporting documents and complete a separate postgraduate admission application.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming that applying for postgraduate admission automatically applies you for the PSP
- Applying through the wrong faculty form
- Not reading the faculty-specific eligibility requirements
- Assuming there is one academic-average requirement for all faculties
- Applying for part-time study where the relevant faculty requires full-time registration
- Applying for a postgraduate diploma
- Forgetting a supervisor support letter where required
- Leaving out the research proposal or concept note for Master’s or Doctoral applications where required
- Failing to include proof of previous NSFAS or ISFAP funding where applicable
- Uploading incomplete supporting documents
- Holding another full scholarship when the PSP conditions prohibit it
- Submitting after 30 September 2026
How this opportunity was verified
This opportunity was verified using the official Stellenbosch University Postgraduate Funding Office page and the official PSP 2027 Call for Applications.
The university confirms that the call opened on 10 August 2026, closes on 30 September 2026, offers full and partial scholarships, covers multiple faculties and requires applicants to use the faculty-specific eligibility criteria and application form.
How to apply
- Review Stellenbosch University’s available postgraduate programmes.
- Apply for admission to the postgraduate programme you wish to study.
- Identify the faculty under which your programme falls.
- Open the official PSP 2027 Call for Applications.
- Read the eligibility, funding and document requirements for your faculty carefully.
- Select the application link for your faculty from the call document.
- Prepare and combine supporting documents as instructed.
- Complete the faculty-specific PSP online application.
- Include proof of previous NSFAS or ISFAP funding if applicable.
- Submit before 30 September 2026 and retain proof of submission.
Official bursary and application links
Stellenbosch University Postgraduate Funding Office / PSP 2027: the official funding page contains the live PSP information and links to the call documents.