UCT Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships
University of Cape Town UCT Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships
About scholarships awarded at UCT
- Faculties offer two kinds of undergraduate scholarships: Faculty Entrance Scholarships, and Faculty Scholarships.
- The number of these awards is limited.
- Awards are made on the criteria detailed below.
- There is no application process for these awards.
- Faculties make awards using information provided in applications for admission and academic achievement in the previous year.
- Faculty Entrance Scholarships are awarded to applicants on the basis of NSC achievement in open and redress pools. For Faculty Entrance Scholarships, redress is determined by an applicant’s disadvantage factor.
- Faculty Scholarships are awarded to returning students on the basis of academic achievement in open and redress pools. For Faculty Scholarships, redress is determined by self-declared racial identity. (No disadvantage factor is available for 2024 returning students.)
- An applicant or student who is entitled to staff fees, will have the record of the award noted on his or her transcript but the amount paid into the fee account will be a pro-rated percentage of the standard award.
General conditions applicable to Faculty Entrance Scholarships
- Faculty Entrance Scholarships are for undergraduate students who are applying to enter the University for the first time, and are for the first year of academic study.
- Except in the BAS and in the Performing and Creative Arts where audition and portfolio rankings are considered, Faculty Entrance Scholarships are guaranteed to applicants who attain the published faculty threshold levels.
- Eligibility for Faculty Entrance Scholarships is restricted to South African citizens and to South African permanent residents.
- A Faculty Entrance Scholarship may be withdrawn entirely if a recipient cancels his or her academic registration before writing mid-year examinations (recipients who cancel registration after writing the mid-year exams will receive half the scholarship value).
- Faculty Entrance Scholarships are valid for the year in which the offer is made. Applicants deferring their studies will need to meet the published threshold level for the year in which they register. Faculties may rollover an Entrance Scholarship offer for applicants who take a ‘Gap year’.
- A small portion of the faculty’s allotted amount for Faculty Entrance Scholarships is set aside to be awarded at the dean’s discretion and may be used for awards to international applicants.
General conditions applicable to Faculty Scholarships
- Faculty Scholarships are offered to students in their second or third year of undergraduate study. (Some Faculties also make awards for subsequent years of study.) Faculty Scholarships are tenable for one year.
- To be considered for a Faculty Scholarship, a candidate must be registered for a full curriculum workload for the specified programme/qualification, and may not have failed a course within the programme for which he/she is registered.
- While minimum levels of academic achievement, as defined by each Faculty and for academic programmes as specified will apply, Deans may exercise discretion when making scholarship awards taking into account a candidate’s academic record, circumstances and the advice of selection panels and heads of academic departments, as appropriate.
- Faculty Scholarships may be withdrawn if a recipient fails to register at the University for the year in which the scholarship is awarded, changes his or her programme registration to another Faculty, or cancels his or her academic registration before writing mid-year examinations (recipients who cancel registration after writing the mid-year exams will receive half the scholarship value).
Faculty Points Score (FPS) and subject score thresholds for the award of a Faculty Entrance Scholarship in 2024:
Faculty of Commerce
| Category | FPS | NBT-AL | NBT-QL | NBT MATHS |
| Open | Minimum of 540 | Proficient | Proficient | N/A |
| Redress A (with a disadvantage factor of greater than 1) | Minimum of 540 | Proficient | Proficient in one of these two categories | |
| REDRESS B (with a disadvantage factor of greater than 1) | 480 to 539 | Proficient | Proficient | N/A |
(Faculty of Commerce criteria)
Faculty of Engineering & The Built Environment
| Qualification | Category | Threshold |
| Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) |
Redress | 15 best applicants |
| All other qualifications (excl BAS) |
Redress (disadvantage weighting of 1.1 only) | FPS 80 and above |
| Open | FPS 90 and above |
(Faculty of Engineering & The Built Environment criteria)
Faculty of Health Sciences
MBChB
| Degree | Redress Category | Minimum NBT | Minimum FPS | Minimum MedPS |
| MBChB | Redress 1 | Results in Proficient range | 750 | 810 |
| Redress 2 | 790 | 850 | ||
| Redress 3, 4 & Open | 820 | 890 | ||
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Notes:
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Rehabilitation Sciences:
| Degree | Redress Category | Minimum NBT | Minimum FPS 2024 |
| BSc Physiotherapy | Redress 1 | Results in Intermediate range | 710 |
| Redress 2 | 730 | ||
| Redress 3 & 4 | 770 | ||
| Open | Results in Proficient range | 790 | |
| BSc Occupational Therapy | Redress 1 | Results in Intermediate range | 680 |
| Redress 2 | 700 | ||
| Redress 3 & 4 | 750 | ||
| Open | Results in Proficient range | 780 | |
| BSc Audiology & BSc Speech-Language Pathology | Redress 1 | Results in Intermediate range | 650 |
| Redress 2 | 660 | ||
| Redress 3 & 4 | 730 | ||
| Open | Results in Proficient range. | 750 |
Note: Applicants are only eligible for a scholarship in the Redress category if they have a disadvantage factor of greater than 1.
(Faculty Health Sciences criteria)
Faculty of Humanities
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Science and Social Work (BA, BSocSc (this includes the BSocSc (Philosophy, Politics and Economics), BSW)).
| Category | Eligibility | Criteria |
| Open | All SA applicants | FPS: 510 (85% average) or above NBT: Proficient in Academic Literacy (AL) test |
| Redress | Applicants with a disadvantage factor of between 1.01 and 1.1 (i.e. up to 10% of the FPS) | FPS: 470 (78% average) or above NBT: Upper Intermediate in Academic Literacy (AL) test |
Extended Programmes in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Science
Faculty entrance scholarships in this category acknowledge and reward excellent performance in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. There are ten scholarships available and they will be allocated competitively on the basis of academic merit to first-time entering applicants. Awards are made by the Dean on the recommendation of the programme convenor and the Faculty Admissions Committee (RFAC).
Degree programmes in the performing and creative arts
Faculty entrance scholarships in this category acknowledge and reward National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination and creative or performance excellence. The scholarships are divided among four areas on a pro rata basis and at least 50% of the awards must be to applicants from the Redress category. Awards are made to applicants by the Head/ Director of the Department/ School on the advice on a selection panel. Awards are made to first-time entering applicants or to transferring students who have been assessed by the school/ department/ college as having excellent potential. Offer of a scholarship will fall away if a student subsequently registers for a qualification outside of one of the performing and creative arts degree programmes.
Bachelor of Art in Fine Art (BA(FA))
Applicants are considered for a Faculty entrance scholarship on the basis of their portfolio rating. Portfolios are rated A, B+ or B and applicants are ranked and awards made to the top applicants in descending order. Where two applicants perform similarly in a portfolio submission, their NSC and NBT scores are taken into account.
Bachelor of Art in Theatre and Performance (BA(TP)); Diploma in Theatre and Performance
Applicants to both the degree and diploma programmes are considered for a Faculty entrance scholarship on the basis of their audition performance, NSC results, and NBT score (all three of which are equally weighted).
In allocating scholarships, consideration is also given to equity (with specific reference to the Redress category) and to achieving an appropriate balance between the various streams and specialisations in the degree programme.
Bachelor of Music in Dance (BMus(Dance)); Diploma in Dance Education
Faculty entrance scholarships are split equally between the Dance degree and diploma programmes. Students’ dance performance is ranked following an assessment in the fourth week of the first term and awards are made to the top students in descending order.
Bachelor of Music (BMus); Diploma in Music Performance; Advanced Diploma in Opera
Applicants are considered for a Faculty entrance scholarship on the basis of their musical ability as evidenced in the audition performance. Auditions are rated A, B+ or B and applicants are ranked and awards made to the top applicants in descending order. Where two applicants perform similarly in an audition performance, their NSC and NBT scores are taken into account, along with any recommendation from the Music teacher.
In allocating scholarships, consideration is also given to equity (with specific reference to the Redress category) and to achieving an appropriate balance between the various streams and specialisations in the degree programme.
Dean’s Discretionary allocation
Five percent of the Faculty’s entrance scholarship allocation is earmarked for award at the discretion of the Dean. Awards in this category allow for recognition of excellence in non-NSC or international school-leaving examinations.
(Faculty of Humanities criteria)
Faculty of Law
LLB (Undergraduate applicants)
| Category | NSC | NBT (National Benchmark Test) |
| All redress categories | FPS of 480 | average of 75% for Academic Literacy and Quantitative Literacy |
| Open | FPS of 510 | average of 85% for Academic Literacy and Quantitative Literacy |
LLB (Graduate applicants)
| Category | GPA |
| All redress categories | 70% for previous undergraduate degree |
| Open | 77% for previous undergraduate degree |
(Faculty of Law criteria)
Faculty of Science
| Category | Criteria |
| Open | A minimum Faculty Points Score (FPS) of 720 and ≥80% for Mathematics in the final NSC examinations.
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| Redress | Applicants with a disadvantage factor of 1.1 and a minimum FPS of 680 and ≥80% for Mathematics in the final NSC examinations.
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