Other Bursaries Like National Student Financial Aid Scheme

Currently, several people in South Africa are suffering from financial issues, and that is why they are unable to pay for their tertiary education. Most of the students in South Africa rely on continuing their higher education.

NSFAS, which stands for National Student Financial Aid Scheme, is currently the largest bursary organization in South Africa, providing financial support to most South African citizens. In case NSFAS has rejected your application due to a specific reason, you can always apply for other choices.

There are several other bursaries in South Africa that work like NSFAS and are considered the best reliable alternatives to fund your education. Here, we will be discussing some of the most trustworthy organizations and other bursaries, like NSFAS, that provide you with financial assistance to continue your education. Let’s look at the best other bursaries like NSFAS, renowned for providing aids and funds for your education.

Alternative Bursaries Like NSFAS

The guide covers the details about several other bursaries like NSFAS that are reliable choices to provide financial aid for your education. These are the best alternative choices to help you continue your education without any limitations of finance or money. Let’s look at the details of these bursaries below.

SETA Bursaries

SETA stands for Sector Education and Training Authorities. It is a bursary organization to help students develop skill development in them. The organization pays for tuition fees, accommodation fees, textbooks, and research material expenses of the student.

Moreover, you must ensure you are good at your studies to get the bursary. This is important because the government only gave these bursaries to extra-intelligent students. So that there are more students in disciplines with limited skills.

SITA Bursary

SITA stands for the State Information Technology Agency, which is a bursary mainly for those students interested in ICT studies. The primary aim of the bursary is to fill the gap between communication fraternity and information. Moreover, the SITA bursary also covers Social Studies, Agriculture, Applied Sciences, and Information technology fields.

The bursary pays for tuition fees, accommodation fees, transport fees, learning material costs, and meal costs of the student. To get the bursary, you have to make sure that you are a South African citizen and you are studying in any of the ICT-related subjects recognized at higher education institutions located in South Africa.

You also have to make sure that you have a matric certificate with you to get the bursary. Otherwise, you are not eligible for getting funds.

SASOL Bursary

SASOL bursary is for those students who are looking for full-time study funds. The bursary is only given to talented students and is an all-inclusive bursary system.

This means the organization has the funds for different fields of study. Still, it prioritized sectors like Engineering and Technology, Agriculture Science, Data Science, Construction and Manufacturing, Financial Sciences, and Environmental and Medical Sciences.

These are those sectors that the country needs the most for the betterment of the future. Keep in mind the organization provides payments for undergraduate studies like BSc, BEng and also provide bursaries for postgraduate studies like M.Eng, MSc, Ph.D.

Motsepe Foundation Bursary

Motsepe Foundation mainly provides for unemployed, poverty-stricken people suffering from unstable financial situations. The organization provides bursaries to help them improve their lives by getting higher education. It provides funds to cover tuition, accommodation, and living expenses.

Whether you are interested in Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Business Studies, Technology, Law Arts Sciences, Medical Studies, or Agriculture, you can apply for the Motsepe Foundation bursary. What you must have is make sure that you are a South African citizen and you are either studying or intend to study in the compatible fields mentioned above.

Moreover, remember your marks because students with 70% marks or more than 70% can get the grant. Moreover, you have to make sure to fulfill the requirement of a financial income level test to get the bursary as set by the organization itself.

NRF Bursary

NRF stands for National Research Foundation, an organization offering NRF bursaries for those South African students who intend to study full-time postgraduate degrees. The organization provides funds to cover the expenses of Masters Honors or Doctoral.

There are no strict limitations regarding subjects; instead, the organization provides funds for almost all fields, including Science, Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Technology.

It also provides bursaries for indigenous knowledge systems. Moreover, to get admission to the institute and get an NRF bursary for your education, you must make sure that your age is 28, 30, and 32, depending on your degree. Moreover, remember that you should have 65% marks in your latest results to get the bursary.

Funza Lushaka Bursary

If you are interested in becoming a teacher and are looking for financial assistance to provide you funds to get a bachelor of education degree B.Ed, this bursary is for you. This bursary aims to promote teaching as a profession.

Remember that the bursary covers and pays for registration and tuition fees, accommodation charges, learning material costs, meal charges, and other necessary living expenses. To get the bursary, make sure that you have a 12th-grade certificate with you and are under the age of 30. You also have to make sure that you are excellent in your education and that you are maintaining good grades.

IDC Bursary

IDC stands for Industrial Development Corporation. The organization is another organization offering bursaries for higher education.

Those undergraduate students who have financial boundaries but want to continue their education mainly in Engineering, Science, Commerce, IT, and law fields can apply for funds from IDC. The organization pays for not only the tuition fees but also the accommodation fees, meal charges, books, and a laptop for the student.

Moreover, the subjects that are covered by the bursary include Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Analytical Chemistry, Agriculture Accounting, Computer Science, Information Technology, Investment Management, Commercial Law, LLB, and postgraduate diploma of law.

Thuthuka Bursary

Thuthuka bursary program was established in 2005 BY the SAICS South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. If you are interested in the accounting field and want to become a chartered accountant, you can get a bursary. It is one of the most broad-spectrum bursaries that covers most of the expenses of those students.

You not only get support for tuition fees, accommodation fees, personal care allowance, or learning material fees but also will get academic support, social support, emotional support, mentoring and counseling, and work readiness and life skill training. The organization also provides access to experienced chartered accountants and business leaders as mentors.

Keep in mind to get the bursary, you must be a South African citizen, and you should have 60 or more marks in Mathematics subject in your grade 11. Moreover, keep in mind your complete income should be less than R 350,000 to get the bursary.

Furthermore, you must have a grade 12 degree with you or a matric certificate to get the bursary. You can also get the bursary even if you are a student of any CA-related field.

CIPLA Bursary

CIPLA Medpro South Africa is one of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies. The organization provides bursaries for the students to get funds for the 2024 academic year. Students interested in Analytical Chemistry, Computer Science, Digital Marketing, Media Studies, Communications, Engineering Economics, Management Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Graphic Design, Pharmacy, Microbiology, and Supply Chain and logistics management can apply for financial assistance.

The bursary provides expense coverage for tuition fees, accommodation charges, books costs, meals costs, and laptop charges. Moreover, remember that those eligible for the bursary will receive one laptop for their studies.

Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme

ISFAP Stands for the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme, which is a public benefit organization receiving funds from multiple donors and sources. There are several organizations, including government institutions, that provide funds to ISFAP.

This organization asks students to get funds for their 2024 academic year if they cannot pay for their education. One thing that you have to keep in mind is that the organization only provides bursaries for students who are studying in institutions that are partnered up with ISFAP.

This includes the University of Johannesburg, the University of Pretoria, the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Nelson Mandela University, the University of Venda, Walter Sisulu University, And the Central University of Technology. The bursary provides complete coverage for tuition fees and the cost of books, accommodation, meals, and cash allowance.

CRET Bursary

CRET stands for CYRIL Ramaphosa Education Trust, a well-known organization in South Africa that helps the needy citizens of South Africa. This agency also offers bursaries for students who are needy and poor. If you need financial help and are looking for a reliable organization to provide you with the bursary for higher education, you can apply for CRET.

CRET Bursary is one of the most flexible bursary options that depends upon one’s own needs. The bursaries are specific according to each student’s need, and the organization makes a tailor-made allowance for every student.

South African National Seed Organization (SANSOR) Bursary

This bursary is for those students who are looking to get funds for a postgraduate degree. The degrees that this SANSOR bursary supports include the degrees of Honors, Master’s, and doctorate, particularly in the seed industry.

The basic game of the bursary is to maximize the seed trade by motivating and encouraging young minds to conduct high-quality and professional research in the street industry. The allowance is not fixed; students get it based on their results. Those students who can resh in Agronomy, Horticulture, Biotechnology, Entomology Genetics, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Plant Physiology, and molecular plant biology can reliably get the bursary from SANSOR.

South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) Bursary

SACAA is a civil aviation authority in South Africa that is another organization offering bursaries for those students who are in need of financial aid. Those who are interested in engineering can get funds from the South African Civil Aviation Authority SACAA.

The bursaries are given to students of Aeronautical Engineering, Pilot Training, and Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Moreover, remember that you should be a South African citizen, and should be between 18 and 35 years old to get the bursary. Plus, you should either have recently completed matric or are currently studying in matric.

Investec Bursary Programme

Investec Bursary program is another provider in South Africa that offers bursaries to talented students. Those students interested in Commerce, Information technology, Engineering, and Science can apply for the bursary from Investec.

The organization provides payments for tuition fees, accommodation costs, and a living allowance for the students to help them financially continue their education. Moreover, the bursary is particularly for undergraduate studies to fulfill the need of students of South Africa to continue their education in the fields mentioned above.

South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) Bursary Programme

This organization provides bursaries for those students who are interested in getting a postgraduate degree. This IRR bursary is offered to undergraduate students so they can get higher degrees with ease and without financial limitations.

If you want to get the bursary, make sure you have interests in Political Science, Economics, Law, or Sociology. In this way, you can apply for an IRR bursary and get funds for their education.

Remember, unlike NSFAS, this South African Institute of Race Relations IRR bursary program offers funds for postgraduate studies. Moreover, the organization only pays tuition fees and a monthly stipend to the students.

South African Reserve Bank Bursary Scheme

South African Reserve Bank bursaries scheme is another provider in South Africa that provides bursaries and funds to South African students who lack financial resources for their education. Those who want to work in the banking industry can get funds from the South African Reserve Bank bursary scheme.

Moreover, keep in mind the bursary provides the expenses for tuition fees and accommodation charges and also provides students with their living allowance. This helps students get an education without worrying about their financial conditions.

PPC Bursary

PPC is a well-known, reliable, and top South African supplier of cement and related products. It has 11 cement factories that are located all across South Africa, including Botswana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda.

The company is providing bursaries for students who are either studying or intend to study in any of the following fields. The related fields of study are Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Environmental oriented degrees.

The bursary provides coverage for tuition fees, accommodation costs, and meal charges. Moreover, to get the bursary, you must have to make sure that you are a South African citizen and that you reside in the surrounding areas where the mine operates.

In order to get the bursary you have to make sure that you are either studying or intent on studying full-time at some renowned South African University or University of Technology in South Africa. If you are getting a degree in geology, science, and engineering subjects, you have to make sure that you have higher grades in science and mathematics in metric.

Compensation Fund Bursary

A compensation fund bursary is a bursary in South Africa that provides funds for students so that they can get an education in the 2024 academic year. This bursary is given to two groups of people.

Group 1 is the group of unemployed COID beneficiaries with permanent disablement as a result of disease or occupational injury. In the second group, the bursary is given to the dependent of COVID-19 beneficiaries with permanent disabilities.

The courses that the bursary provides funds for include Accounting, Science, Ectorial Signs, Agriculture, Architecture, Data Science, Economic Science, Engineering, Financial Mathematics, Health and Clinical Science, Information Technology, Mathematical science, Teaching, Statistics, Forensic Science and Risk Management. The bursary pays for tuition fees, study material costs, accommodation costs, and a monthly stipend to the students.

To get the bursary, make sure that you are a South African citizen and you are currently unemployed. You have to make sure that you are currently in working age and either are studying or must be intent on studying within these fields mentioned above of study.

Bombela Bursary

The Bombela Operating Company (PTY) Ltd is the company that maintains and operates transportation systems in South Africa. The company is providing bursaries and inviting needy students to apply for bursary programs to pay for the cost of their 2024 academic year.

Those students who are studying in either of the following fields can apply for the Bombela bursary. The fields for which they can apply include Accounting, Sciences, Engineering Studies, Environmental Sciences, Human Resources, Management, Industrial Psychology, Information Technology, Security, Transport, and Marketing or Communications. One of the basic requirements that you have to fulfill to get the bursary is that you must be willing to take part in vocational work at BOC.

Polokwane Municipality Bursary

Polokwane Municipality is the economic hub of the Limpopo province. The Polokwane Municipality bursary program is a personal program for the needy students of South Africa to get for their 2024 academic year.

Keep in mind the bursaries are only provided to the students who live within the Polokwane Municipal area. To get the bursary, you must have to make sure that you are a South African citizen and you are permanently residing in Limpopo province. You also have to make sure that you have just completed the matric.

Moreover, you must not get any other bursary funds from a disadvantaged background. Plus, keep in mind that students who have specific disabilities can apply for the bursaries reliably because the organization prioritizes students who are disabled.

ShopRite Bursary

ShopRite Bursary is a program offered by ShopRite for needy students to get financial assistance for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students interested in studying Accounting, Biology, Agricultural Sciences, Criminology, Data Science, Food Sciences, Information Technology, Retail Business, Management, and Supply chain and logistics can get the bursary quickly.

Moreover, the bursary covers tuition fees and books and provides accommodation allowance to eligible students. There is no fixed value of the bursary; instead, it lies within the range between R 30,000 and R 60,000.

The amount is dependent upon the institution and the field of study. You must make sure that you can work for Shoprite after graduation because this is one of the basic requirements of the organization for the students who want to get the bursary.

Hopefully, you have gone through this article that tells you about the different bursaries that are offered in South Africa. All of these are the bursaries that are reliable and provide you with the funds so that you can continue your education without any financial problems.

The above list of bursaries is all those that are alternatives to NSFAS. If you, for any reason, have not got an NSFAS bursary, you don’t need to be stressed out.

Apply for other bursary programs, and you will definitely get the one. Make sure to pay attention so you do not miss anything important.