Many students living in South Africa are not able to afford the costs associated with tertiary education. This is because tuition fees, textbooks, learning materials and transportation could fall beyond their financial means.
These students often rely on financial aid to fund their tertiary education journey. Financial aid can come in the form of a bursary, student loan or a scholarship. Students can qualify for these forms of financial aid based on their personal circumstances and previous achievements.
A scholarship is a type of financial aid usually awarded to students who achieved academic excellence. It typically covers a range of expenses for students, including tuition costs and living expenses.
Beneficiaries of scholarships may be required to maintain these results in order to continue receiving it. Students may not always be expected to repay or work off their scholarship.
A bursary is a form of financial aid provided to a student which usually covers their full tuition fees or a portion of their fees. Some bursaries may even provide students with allowances to pay for things like accommodation, transport and learning materials.
To qualify for a bursary, a student must meet stipulated requirements which may relate to academic performance or financial eligibility.
After completing their studies, bursary recipients may need to work for their bursar for a set period of time to ‘pay back’ their bursary. One example of this is the Funza Lushaka bursary which requires beneficiaries to work in public schools for the same amount of years they received the bursary.
Can You Get A Bursary And A Scholarship?
It may not be possible to get a bursary and a scholarship at the same time. This is because they pay for the same thing and a student who received both may be double dipping.
The bursary or scholarship could even stipulate they the applicant may not be allowed to be receiving other financial support to qualify for said bursary or scholarship.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) is the most popular bursary available to students from poor and working-class backgrounds in South Africa. Nsfas bursaries ensure they can attend public tertiary education institutions in the country.
Nsfas may exercise civil or criminal proceedings against students or institutions where they do not declare instances of double dipping to Nsfas such that excess funds could be returned to Nsfas within the relevant academic year.
There are many bursaries and scholarships available to students wanting to study in South Africa. Information on bursaries and scholarships , including information on their qualifying criteria, application closing dates and what they cover can be found on The Bursaries Portal.
