University of Stellenbosch Bursary Application and Receipt

At postgraduate level, merit bursaries are allocated according to set criteria, provided that an application is received by the stipulated closing date. Undergraduate students, who are prospective postgraduate students, must please note that this procedure differs from the procedure followed at undergraduate level where allocation of merit bursaries is done automatically.

In preparation for your application, consult the tab above “Students Responsibility”. This will give you a detailed look at what your responsibilities are concerning bursary applications.

It is important to be aware of the fact that different bursaries have different criteria, conditions and application deadlines. Be sure that you know which bursaries you qualify for and what the conditions are. More information on that can be found in the section “Funding available – administered by SU”.

Bursary applications, and all relevant documents, have to be formally approved by the tutor or supervisor concerned. Read application forms and instructions carefully. Complete them as far as you are required to and be sure to let your supervisor complete the appropriate sections before returning the application forms and related documents to the Postgraduate Student Funding Office, RW Wilcocks building 3015.

Please note that application for funding is subject to consideration by relevant selection panels, and application for a bursary does therefore not guarantee that you will be awarded a bursary. Where a bursary is awarded, the money is transferred into the student’s SU account. This account is settled first. Should the account be settled in full, the relevant amount is transferred electronically into the bank account for which the Division of Student Fees receives relevant details in advance. Bursars are therefore responsible for ensuring that the Division for Student Fees has the correct banking details. Payment of bursary money can, at the earliest, only be done towards mid-March, depending on whether a signed Declaration has been submitted to the Office for Postgraduate Student Funding. Enquiries regarding payment, etc. should be addressed to the Student Fees Section.

When a student accepts a bursary, the bursary institution will require him / her to enter into a contract. This involves accurate completion of forms and / or other documents and strict adherence to contractual conditions. As a matter of general principle, no person should enter into a contract without fully understanding its conditions. The same principle holds good for students entering into a contract with a bursary institution. Should you apply for financial aid, you will need to (i) read the application form attentively and (ii) to study all the printed guidelines or other printed information on the fund to which you apply for assistance. Such documents usually deal with most of the questions likely to occur to students entering into bursary contracts.

Payment of bursaries is made only after the student has registered. Often, bursaries are not paid out until the end of the first semester or even as late as the second semester. To speed up the process, applicants should complete documents promptly, and ask their supervisors to do likewise. It is essential, though, for bursary holders to make provision for their own living expenses during the intervening period. SU cannot be held responsible for a student’s keep while he / she has to wait for bursary payments. When registration only takes place at the beginning of the second semester, only half of the original amount allocated will be paid.

If the applicant has not received acknowledgement of receipt of an application form within ten working days after the internal closing date, the onus to inquire whether the Office for Postgraduate Student Funding had received the application form, rests on him/her.

Where a particular bursary allows for a renewal, such a renewal application should be submitted, recommended by the supervisor/promoter, by the announced closing date. Renewal applications normally require a progress report by the supervisor/promoter.

Should an applicant wish to appeal against the results of an application, a letter of appeal must be submitted to the Office for Postgraduate Bursaries, explaining all the details of the appeal.