The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (FREF), in partnership with Feenix, is inviting eligible South African students to apply for its Postgraduate Bursary Programme for 2027.
The bursary is specifically intended for students who will be studying towards their first full-time, one-year Honours qualification in an approved STEM or Psychology field at an eligible South African public university.
Applications opened on 28 September 2026. The current provisional closing date is 31 December 2026.
At a glance
Sponsor: FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (FREF)
Bursary administrator: Feenix
Opportunity type: Postgraduate bursary
Academic year funded: 2027
Study level: First Honours degree, NQF Level 8
Study mode: Full-time, one-year Honours programme
Institutions: Eligible South African public universities
Age requirement: 18–35 years as at 31 December 2027
Minimum undergraduate average: 60%
Matric Mathematics requirement: 60% or higher
Mathematical Literacy: Not accepted
Maximum household income: R700,000 per year
Applications opened: 28 September 2026
Provisional closing date: 31 December 2026
Application method: Online through the official Feenix/FREF bursary portal
Last verified: 28 September 2026.
High-value notes (read this first)
- This bursary is for students entering their first postgraduate qualification in 2027.
- The qualification must be a full-time, one-year Honours degree.
- Applicants must be South African citizens.
- The current eligibility criteria specify African, Coloured or Indian (ACI) South African applicants.
- Applicants must be aged between 18 and 35 as at 31 December 2027.
- A minimum 60% average in the undergraduate degree is required.
- Applicants must have achieved at least 60% in NSC Mathematics.
- Mathematical Literacy does not qualify.
- Combined household income must be R700,000 or less per year.
- Commerce qualifications are not supported under the current 2027 programme.
- Applicants cannot receive FREF funding together with funding from another organisation.
- An Honours acceptance letter is not required at the initial application stage if it has not yet been issued.
- The current closing date of 31 December 2026 is explicitly described as provisional, so applicants should not wait until the end of December to apply.
About the sponsor
The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation was established as part of FirstRand Limited’s broad-based black economic empowerment initiative.
Its focus includes reducing poverty and inequality and improving access to economic opportunities through public-benefit initiatives.
For this bursary programme, FREF partners with Feenix, which administers applications and provides additional student-support services.
What it covers
Successful students may receive support towards:
- Full tuition fees
- Accommodation
- Monthly travelling stipends
- Book allowance
- Food vouchers
- Airtime vouchers
- Additional student-support and development services
Accommodation support is available up to a maximum of:
R65,000
This remains subject to FREF funding conditions.
Important accommodation rule
The bursary does not pay private accommodation providers directly.
Accommodation funding is only available for accredited accommodation that appears on the student’s university fee statement.
Applicants who require accommodation should therefore confirm that their residence or accommodation is recognised by the university and billed through the institution.
Tuition payments
Approved tuition funding is paid directly to the relevant university according to the FREF bursary disbursement process.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be South African citizens
- Be African, Coloured or Indian (ACI)
- Be aged 18–35 years as at 31 December 2027
- Have achieved at least 60% in NSC Mathematics
- Have completed Pure Mathematics rather than Mathematical Literacy
- Have a current or final undergraduate average of at least 60%
- Be applying for their first postgraduate qualification
- Be applying for a full-time, one-year Honours degree
- Study at an eligible South African public university
- Have a combined household income of R700,000 or less per year
- Apply in one of the approved fields
- Meet the admission requirements of the selected university and qualification.
Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee funding. Complete applications are still subject to screening, verification, selection criteria and the number of bursary places available.
Fields of study supported
The approved fields for 2027 are:
- Actuarial Science
- Agricultural Sciences
- BA Honours Arts (Psychology)
- Biosciences
- Climate Sciences
- Computer Science
- Data Science
- Electronics
- Engineering
- Environmental Sciences
- Indigenous Knowledge Systems
- Information Management
- Information Science
- Information Systems
- Information Technology
- Mathematical Sciences
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Renewable Energy
- Risk
- Sciences
- Statistics.
Important Psychology restriction
Psychology funding is specifically limited to:
BA Honours Arts (Psychology).
Commerce qualifications
Commerce-related qualifications are not eligible under the current 2027 FREF bursary criteria.
Students should therefore check that their proposed Honours qualification appears within the approved fields before applying.
Documents to prepare
Applicants should prepare the following:
- Certified South African ID copy
- Certified Matric certificate
- Complete undergraduate academic record
- Provisional or final Honours acceptance letter, if available
- Applicant’s 13-digit South African ID number
- 13-digit ID number of an adult member of the applicant’s household
Applicants living with a disability should additionally prepare:
- Completed EEA1 form
- Recent medical letter or certificate.
Important document requirements
Supporting documents must be uploaded as PDF files.
Each file must be no larger than:
5 MB
The certified ID must:
- Have been certified within the previous six months
- Be clear and readable
- Show the applicant’s full details
- Not be password protected
- Be a scanned copy rather than a photograph or screenshot
- Show both sides if a smart-card ID is used.
The Matric certificate should clearly show all subjects and marks.
The academic transcript should be the complete academic record, not selected pages or individual semester results.
If you are still waiting for Honours acceptance
Applicants do not necessarily have to wait for their final university acceptance letter before applying.
The official application states that the provisional or final Honours acceptance letter can be left out if the university has not yet issued it.
Applicants may be required to provide the document later during the screening and verification process.
Household income verification
Combined annual household income must not exceed:
R700,000
The online application asks for the applicant’s ID number as well as the ID number of another adult household member.
Feenix states that its service provider uses the supplied information to verify combined household income.
The household member does not necessarily have to be employed.
Other bursaries and funding
The FREF Bursary is an exclusive funding opportunity.
Students who receive funding from another organisation or funding source cannot also receive FREF funding.
Applicants must disclose other funding that they have already received or secured.
Applicants living with disabilities
Applicants living with disabilities should prepare:
- An EEA1 form
- A recent medical letter or certificate
The medical documentation should:
- Be issued by a registered medical practitioner, psychologist or other recognised health professional
- Clearly confirm the nature of the disability or medical condition
- Include the practitioner’s name, signature and practice number
- Be dated within the previous 12 months.
Closing date
Applications opened on:
28 September 2026
The current provisional closing date is:
31 December 2026
Because the deadline is still described by Feenix as provisional, applicants should submit as early as possible and check the official page for any subsequent change.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Applying for a Master’s degree instead of a first Honours qualification
- Applying if you have already completed an Honours degree
- Applying for a two-year or part-time postgraduate qualification
- Applying for a Commerce qualification
- Selecting a study field that is not on the approved 2027 list
- Applying with Mathematical Literacy instead of Pure Mathematics
- Applying with less than 60% for Matric Mathematics
- Applying with an undergraduate average below 60%
- Failing to disclose other bursary or sponsorship funding
- Uploading photographs or screenshots instead of scanned PDFs
- Uploading files larger than 5 MB
- Using an ID certification older than six months
- Forgetting the complete undergraduate academic record
- Assuming eligibility automatically guarantees funding
- Treating 31 December 2026 as a guaranteed final deadline when it is currently described as provisional
How this opportunity was verified
This bursary was verified directly from the official FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Postgraduate Bursary portal administered by Feenix.
The current 2027 portal confirms:
- Applications opened on 28 September 2026
- The provisional closing date is 31 December 2026
- The bursary supports a first full-time, one-year Honours qualification
- Applicants must be aged 18–35
- The academic requirement is at least 60% for both undergraduate average and NSC Mathematics
- Mathematical Literacy is excluded
- Household income may not exceed R700,000 per year
- Study must take place at an eligible South African public university
- The approved 2027 fields are specifically listed
- Full tuition and several additional forms of student support may be provided.
FirstRand’s official website separately confirms the role and objectives of the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation.
How to apply
- Open the official FREF bursary portal.
- Read the current eligibility requirements.
- Prepare the required PDF documents.
- Select Apply for the bursary.
- Complete the initial eligibility check.
- Enter your personal and contact information.
- Provide details of your undergraduate degree.
- Select the approved 2027 Honours field you have applied to study.
- Provide information about the university or universities to which you have applied.
- Provide the requested household information.
- Upload your supporting documents.
- Review the application carefully.
- Submit the application.
- Keep your confirmation and private application/resume link.
The system allows applicants to save a draft and return later. Keep the private resume link somewhere secure because it is required to reopen an unfinished application.