Bursaries, loans and funded training
Student funding South Africa
Student funding South Africa includes NSFAS, bursaries, loans, scholarships and paid training. Answer two simple questions to get a short list with official links.
Choose what you want to study, then type your course or work area if you know it. We will show a short list. You can also choose “I’m not sure”.
Find a sensible place to start
What kind of help do you need?
Choose one answer. You can still see all 156 official routes.
National, provider and institution funding
5 routesNSFAS bursary
Government bursary funding for eligible students at South Africa's public universities and TVET colleges.
Check the next application cycleCheck this funding South AfricaNSFAS missing-middle student loan
Government student-loan funding for missing-middle households that exceed the NSFAS bursary income limit.
Check the current application cycleCheck this funding South AfricaFunza Lushaka teaching bursary
Comprehensive bursary funding for eligible students preparing to teach priority subjects in public education.
2026 applications closed · 24 January 2026Check this funding South AfricaCompensation Fund External Bursary
Study support for unemployed COID beneficiaries with permanent disablement and qualifying dependants of injured or deceased workers.
Open during the 2026 academic yearCheck this funding South AfricaDSTI-NRF postgraduate funding
National honours, master's and doctoral funding administered through NRF Connect and participating institutions.
Some 2027 calls remain open · 23 November 2026Check this fundingOfficial national and provider-owned student-funding schemes, a verified starting point for all 9 provincial governments, and every one of South Africa's 21 SETA funding authorities. Municipal, institution-specific, nonprofit and private bursaries are separately measured in the completeness register.
Do you know the institution?
Find all 26 universities and 50 TVET colleges.
Use the complete DHET public-institution directory to check NSFAS, the institution's official site, its financial-aid office and the relevant province or SETA route.
Help from a municipality
Check verified local and mayoral bursary routes.
See the last confirmed deadlines, documents and local-residence rules. Closed records are labelled clearly so an old form is never mistaken for a live application.
Direct answers
Common student-funding questions
Is NSFAS the only study funding in South Africa?
No. NSFAS is the largest public student-funding route, but national departments, public entities, nonprofit funders, teacher training, postgraduate research, all 9 provincial governments and all 21 SETAs have separate routes.
Are all bursaries open at the same time?
No. Application windows and approved fields change. Every result shows the date on which its official source was checked, and you should confirm the current call before preparing documents.
Should I pay someone to get a bursary or learnership?
No one can guarantee an award. Start from the named authority's official website and do not pay an unofficial person for access to a government-funded application or placement.