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 students planning to study at a public university or TVET college. NSFAS is a separate application from applying to a university. We have not verified the household-income thresholds, so we do not state one - check nsfas.org.za.
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 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.
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. We have not verified the household-income thresholds, so we do not state one.
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.