University of Pretoria UP Bursaries, Loans and Scholarships 2024-2025
The University of Pretoria UP offers a variety of bursaries ,Loans and Scholarships to aid students in realizing their academic dreams and goals. These bursaries are generally aimed at students who demonstrate a potential to achieve academic success in their respective fields of study. It should be noted that these bursaries are not automatically awarded, therefore students will have to apply for them.
UP bursaries and loans
All students can register to be considered for discounts, bursaries, and other forms of funding and financial aid benefits. Registering on this database is not guarantee that you will receive funding assistance, but it will help us to find you, if there are suitable opportunities available. This database is open to all students regardless of household income, study programme of year of study.
Applications to register for funding will open on 1 September.
Click here for guidelines.
Financial need
If you are not at all able to pay university fees due to financial need APPLY NOW IN 2019 for financial aid for study in 2020, and submit the required supporting documents as evidence of this financial need which will be requested on the application system. The online financial aid application form will be active annually from 1 September, and you require a University of Pretoria student number (u00000000) to complete the form.
No loan or bursary is however guaranteed by the University of Pretoria.
APPLY from 1 September for possible financial aid in 2020. When you apply online, remember to complete the process by pressing the SUBMIT BUTTON.
For more information on the application process click here.
Apply in the year BEFORE you study
You have to apply for financial aid during the year preceding your studies, irrespective of whether you have been admitted to study yet or not, to allow time for processing your financial aid application. Applications are received from 1 September of the year prior to study. All new first years for the upcoming academic year and current registered students must apply on 1 September for possible financial aid.
Please do NOT assume that you will be awarded a bursary just because you applied. Various criteria have to be met and budgets are limited. Apply in time and submit all the required supporting documents requested. Incomplete applications will not be processed and will thus not be considered for awards.
Thinking you do NOT need financial help?
Many students think they will not need financial aid, as they have promises for financial support from family, friends or institutions who give bursaries. However students then find that their home circumstances suddenly change, or their bursary promise or NSFAS funding fails to realise and they are then unable to pay for their studies. Students in final year are convinced they will graduate, but then fail to meet all the graduation requirements and need to register for another year. It is therefore VERY important to APPLY for financial aid on the University of Pretoria web page Financial Aid Process from 1 September for possible financial aid for the coming academic year, as well as have a back-up financial plan in case this application is not successful.
Fly@UP Assist 1st Year Awards
Guaranteed Fly@UP Assist 1st Year Awards
Amounts indicated in the table below are for 2020
| Qualifying average percentage | Faculty | ||
| Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology
|
Faculty of Health
Faculty of Veterinary Science
|
Other Faculties
|
|
| 75%-79,99% | R6 500 | X | X |
| 80%-84,99% | R16 000 | R6 500 | R16 000 |
| 85%-89,99% | R25 000 | R16 000 | R25 000 |
| 90%-100% | R40 000 | R25 000 | R40 000 |
NOTE: The University of Pretoria reserves the right to amend award values without prior notice.
Criteria
- Fly@UP Assist 1st Year awards are based on the average percentage obtained (not on the number of distinctions).
- Undergraduate achievement awards are made automatically to newly registered undergraduate students who meet the award criteria. Students do not apply for these awards.
- First-year students who register for studies at UP directly after Grade 12 (final school-year) or who took a gap year(s) after their final school-year, who meet the award criteria, will be considered.
- Students who have previously registered at a tertiary educational institution prior to registration at UP will not be considered for Fly@UP Assist 1st Year award. Students who registered at UP in previous years, are also not considered.
- Qualifying students must be South African citizens or permanent residents in South Africa, or be citizens of a SADC country.
- The average percentage for award purposes is the average of the actual percentages obtained for the six (6) best NSC/IEB/Cambridge subjects taken, excluding Life Orientation. This is for subjects taken in the final school-year end exams, based on the calculations done by the University of Pretoria.
- The average percentage is not rounded off.
Conditions
- Certain subjects are EXCLUDED in the calculation of average percentages:
- Life Orientation
- Mathematics Paper 3
- Additional Mathematics
- Practical Music Grade 4 and 5 (Note: Practical Music Grades 6, 7 and 8 are considered for inclusion in the calculation of the average percentage – if your music report for this subject is not part of your NSC report, please submit your official music report to your faculty’s student administration offices, before 28 January for consideration.)
- The awards are finalised on the basis of the final marks that the University receives from the Department of Basic Education for the final school-year. Results obtained for papers that have been re-marked are not taken into account for award purposes.
- Awards are fully repayable if students discontinue or terminate their studies in the relevant study programme for whatever reason during the year in which the award is made.
- If students change their study programmes during the year in which the award is made, the award value allocated for the study programme enrolled for initially will remain unchanged. That is to say, the award will not be cancelled or adjusted upward/downward to align it with consecutive study programmes enrolled for.
| Award | Amount
(for 2019) |
Who | Faculty | Application | |
| JuniorTukkie Grade 11 Empowerment Week | R15 000 |
|
All faculties except Faculty of Theology |
|
|
| Grade 12 dux scholar*
(*top academic Grade 12 achiever of a specific school – one learner per school) |
R7 500 (to cover registration fee) | The final decision regarding the selection of schools for this award rests with UP. | All faculties
|
|
|
| VC Special PDG Award
(Top prospective Black and Coloured students with an APS score of 35 of higher)
|
R11 000 | The final decision regarding the selection of schools for this award rests with UP. | All faculties |
|
NOTE:
Only students with South African citizenship or permanent residency in South Africa are considered for the above awards.
Fly@UP Assist Senior Undergraduate Awards
Amount indicated in the table below is for 2020
| Fly@UP Assist Senior Undergraduate Awards | Application | |
| Qualifying Grade Point Average (GPA) for previous year of study at UP | 75–100% | NONE |
| Award value | R6 500 | |
- Fly@UP Assist Senior Undergraduate awards are automatically awarded to registered senior undergraduate students who qualify for the award. These awards will be made to all qualifying students (South African citizens, permanent residents and non-South African citizens).
- Undergraduate contact students who were registered for an undergraduate academic programme in the previous year of study at UP will be considered for the award, provided that the following conditions are met:
- The sum of credit values associated with the enrolled modules is greater than or equal to 100.
- The sum of the credit values associated with the modules passed as a percentage of the total credit values as calculated above is at least 80 percent or higher.
- The student was not a final-year student.
- All modules are weighted according to their credit values.
- All modules registered for in the previous year are taken into account.
- Students who achieved a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 75% (figures are not rounded off) in the previous year will qualify for a Fly@UP Assist Senior Undergraduate award. Only modules for which a pass percentage can be obtained as prescribed in the year book will be taken into account in calculating the GPA.
- Students registered during the previous year of study for the following programmes do not qualify for the Fly@UP Assist Senior Undergraduate award:
- – UP academic study programmes presented by external institutions,
– postgraduate academic study programmes,
– special study programmes,
– academic study programmes classified as distance education study programmes, and
– certificates and diplomas.
- The following students do not qualify for the Fly@UP Assist Senior Undergraduate award:
- – senior undergraduate students who had an academic standing of Dismissed, Suspended or Discontinued, during the previous year of study; and
– senior undergraduate students who migrated to UP from other educational institutions or were not enrolled at UP in the previous year.
- Summer School and Winter School programmes with module results are included for purposes of these awards.
- Students who completed a first undergraduate academic study programme and return for another undergraduate academic study programme, may be considered again for a Fly@UP Assist Senior Undergraduate award, provided that the student meets the requirements.
- Students who are simultaneously registered for two or more undergraduate academic study programmes will only be considered for one Fly@UP Assist Senior Undergraduate award. In this case the academic study programme in which the student achieved the highest marks will be considered.
- An achievement award for a senior undergraduate student will be awarded for (N-1) times in relation to the period of study for which the student is enrolled. “N” represents the minimum allowable period of study for completion of the academic study programme.
- An achievement award for a senior undergraduate student can only be awarded automatically for a maximum of five times. Should a student qualify for more than five awards during the period of study, the UP Study Finance division will evaluate each award individually, subject to the availability of funding.
- Undergraduate students who discontinue their studies for a year or longer, will during the consecutive year in which they return to continue their studies, not automatically qualify for the award. Students may provide a written motivation for consideration of an award, and hand this in at the Client Service Centre.
- Achievement awards are fully repayable by the student to UP should award holders discontinue or terminate the study programme, for whatever reason, at any stage during the year in which the award was made.
- Refund of credit balances on the student account resulting from these awards, is limited to 50% refund of the credit balance in the 1st semester and the balance in September.
Funding for students with special needs and disabilities
Two main sources of funding are available for students with special needs and disabilities:
- National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) (see section on NSFAS).
- Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) (see section on UP Managed Bursaries).
Students need to meet the criteria as set out by NSFAS/DHET, and apply online directly with NSFAS on their website at www.nsfas.org.za
Other sources of funding may become available during the study year when external donors or institutions offer bursaries, and they are then advertised on the University’s website at www.up.ac.za/feesfunding under the section “External bursaries”.SMS notifications are sent to students with special needs and disabilities who meet the criteria, when such external bursaries are advertised on our website. It is therefore essential for students to update their contact details on the UP Portal (“Student Centre”).
Students with special needs and disabilities are also welcome to apply for any other loan or bursary.
Own employer/ Institutional funding
Funding opportunities
You can search for a list of various company institutional bursaries and loan on “Funding Opportunities”
We also recommend that you browse the general internet for “South Africa”, “bursary” and “your intended degree programme”. Numerous companies may offer bursaries, however be aware that many websites are outdated and the information is no longer relevant. Never pay for any website or institution to send you information and do not provide private information to unknown parties.
Browsing the internet for “South Africa”, “bursary” and “your intended degree programme” lists numerous companies that may offer bursaries. Be aware that many websites are outdated and the information is no longer relevant. Never pay for any website or institution to send you information and do not provide private information to unknown parties.
After securing your own external bursary
If you have secured your own external bursary from a company or institution, you need to bring this to our attention.
In order for the University to capture this external bursary information and, where applicable, waive the requirement to pay the initial registration fee in order to register, you must submit written proof of the bursary/bursaries awarded to you prior to or during registration at the Client Service Centre.
The proof of bursary must be on an official letterhead, signed by the bursar/donor, and must confirm the total amount of the bursary granted to you and must also indicate what the bursary amount covers (eg tuition fees, residence, meals, textbooks, etc).
A bursary form is available in the Client Service Centre or can be downloaded from the UP web page, www.up.ac.za, which can assist external institutions in clearly specifying the detail of the bursary they are offering the student. This bursary form however, must be submitted together with the proof of a bursary on the official letterhead of the bursar/donor.
Funding: Pay-outs and refunds
Pay-outs
- Pay-outs during the year, (if applicable to your bursary to cover book allowances, private accommodation or living costs), are paid in accordance with the rules of your award and as approved by the University.
- In order to claim a pay-out, you have to complete the Pay-out/Refund form obtainable at the Student Service Centre (cashiers section) or print it from the University’s website at www.up.ac.za/feesfunding.
Refunds
- If the source of the credit on your account is not as a result of an award or bursary, but is due to your own payments, then a refund may be requested at any time.
- However, if the source of the credit balance is due to an award or bursary, then refunds of a credit balance on a student account, resulting from an award or bursary, will only be paid out if in accordance with the rules of your award or bursary.
- All awards and bursaries are initially paid directly into your student account.
- Refunds, where applicable, will only be made if your account is fully paid.
- NSFAS loan/bursary holders: If a credit balance remains on the student account by the end of the academic year, NSFAS requires that such credits be returned to them as a first payment towards the loan awarded to the student.
- Refund of credit balances on the student account resulting from achievement awards, is limited to 50% refund of the credit balance in the 1st semester and the balance at the beginning of the 2nd Semester.
- In order to claim a refund, you have to complete the Refund/Bursary Pay-out form obtainable at the Client Service Centre (cashiers section) or print it from the University’s website at www.up.ac.za/feesfunding
University of Pretoria Edu-Loan
Edu-Loan
| Applications open | Applications close | Application website | Contact information |
| always open | always open | www.eduloan.co.za | Edu-Loan Office onUP Hatfield Campus
Tel: +27 (0)12 420 5175 |
Edu-Loan is a private leading provider of study loans in South Africa. They provide study loans for:
- registered students whose parents have been employed permanently for longer than one year; or
- registered students who themselves have been employed permanently for longer than one year.
University of Pretoria Managed Loans
University managed loans
| Applications open | Applications close | Application website | Contact information |
| 4 August of the year preceding studies | 30 Novemberof the year preceding studies | www.up.ac.za/feesfunding | UP Client Service CentreTel: +27 (0)12 420 3111 |
- The University manages various loan funds on behalf of various donors. Awarding of study loans is subject to registered students being financially needy.
- These study loans are primarily approved for the payment of tuition fees and will be administered accordingly.
- The loan amounts vary from R500 to R20 000 and are repayable at an interest rate of prime -1%. (Prime as on 1 January of the year in which the loan was issued.)
- Loan re-payment commences once the student completes the study programme. Interest is payable during the year in which the loan is granted.
- To be considered for a UP managed loan, applicants must provide two guarantors who comply with the conditions as determined by the University.
- UP managed loans are not guaranteed and are subject to availability of funds.
University of Pretoria NSFAS Application
University of Pretoria NSFAS Online Application
University of Pretoria NSFAS Application Form
University of Pretoria NSFAS Application Status
List of Other University of Pretoria Bursaries , Loans and Scholarships
- Cape Peninsula University of Technology CPUT NSFAS Application
- University of Limpopo NSFAS Application
- University of Pretoria NSFAS Application
- Central University of Technology CUT NSFAS Application
- University of South Africa UNISA NSFAS Application
- Durban Institute of Technology DUT NSFAS Application
- University of Stellenbosch NSFAS Application
- Mangosuthu Technikon NSFAS Application
- University of the Free State UFS NSFAS Application
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University NMMU NSFAS Application
- University of the Western Cape UWC NSFAS Application
- North-West University NWU NSFAS Application
- University of the Witwatersrand WITS NSFAS Application
- Rhodes University NSFAS Application
- Tshwane University of Technology TUT NSFAS Application
- University of Zululand NSFAS Application
- University of Cape Town UCT NSFAS Application
- Vaal University of Technology VUT NSFAS Application
- University of Fort Hare UFH NSFAS Application
- Walter Sisulu University WSU NSFAS Application
- University of Johannesburg NSFAS Application
- University of KwaZulu-Natal UKZN NSFAS Application
- FET and TVET College Bursaries in South Africa