Pursuing higher education can become incredibly expensive. To help deserving students who are typically unable to afford university or college tuition without the help of financial aid, there are a number of bursaries and scholarships available for a variety of career fields and studies.
You can apply for a bursary from the organisation offering the bursary, an education provider, an employer or even the government.
If you're hoping to study Psychology, or are already studying towards a qualification in Psychology, here are a few of the eligibility criteria a Psychology bursary may ask of you:
1. You Must Have Completed Matric
This is one of the most basic requirements an applicant will be asked to have.
Usually, you must already have a matric certificate or be working towards obtaining one, i.e. you must have already passed Grade 12 or be in your Grade 12 year at the time of your application.
Applicants may be required to achieve a minimum percentage in a particular subject in order to be considered for funding. This mark can be anything from 50 to 80 percent, depending on the subject or field of study (in this case Psychology).
2. You Must Have University/College Acceptance To a South African Institution
When applying for a bursary, you will need to provide your proof of acceptance to a tertiary institution.
Since you are planning on pursuing Psychology, you may have applied for a qualification in Psychology offered at a South African university, or you may have gained acceptance from a college like the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP).
You don't have to be applying and/or attending a university to qualify for a bursary, unless the bursary provider specifies the type of institution/s it offers financial aid to, or certain universities/colleges only.
3. Subject Selection
There are general bursaries and there are "career specific" bursaries available to students.
General bursaries are typically funded by government and are awarded to individuals regardless of their subject or career choice. Career specific bursaries will only allow students who are pursuing higher education in a particular field or profession to qualify for funding.
For example, Eskom may only offer financial support to students who want to continue their studies in an engineering related field; in this case, an applicant will be pursuing a career in Psychology.
Depending on which bursary providers you're applying to, you will most likely need to be studying towards a qualification in Psychology. If this is a requirement, bursary providers will give a list of subjects or field choices (as a guide) that qualify to receive financial aid from them.
4. Must Be in Need of Financial Assistance
A bursary is a way of providing financial assistance for those who need it the most. While bursaries can be awarded for excellence, many bursaries aim to redress past injustices by providing financial aid to needy scholars.
For this reason, benefactors may limit access to a bursary opportunity by only accepting applicants from a specific race or economic background.
5. Location
It is common practice for the bursary provider to place requirements on the applicant's nationality or current residential address.
In other words, students may be required to live in a certain area or possess citizenship in a certain country before they can apply for an opportunity.
For example, a Psychology bursary on offer by the Gauteng Department of Social Development may ask that applicants come from or live in the Gauteng province.
