Education is quite costly to students from a poor background, today we will provide you with the list of financial aid offered by University of Cape Town, UCT South Africa. The financial aid is to provide help for students that are outstanding and cannot really support themselves financially.
The University of Cape Town, UCT put the provision of financial aids for needy students that are outstanding as a priority. As approved by the institution council, UCT uses its resources to provide financial help to needy students in South Africa with budget constraints. The institution also get funds from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), South African corporate entities, National Research Foundation (NRF), postgraduate bursaries linked to research programmes, non-governmental organisations, foundations, donors, alumni and university staff. They gather the funds to funds students to study in the institution.
Apart from the financial assistance for needy students, UCT also provides entrance and faculty scholarship for qualified students every year. There is a special scholarship aimed at students from disadvantaged areas and schools. The selection of students for the scholarship is based on merit. NSFAS in recent year doubled its allocation to UCT at the undergraduate level. UCT has experienced many challenges with UCT but the institution has always been proactive and works with NSFAS to work things out.
Below you will find the University of Cape Town, UCT financial aids.
LIST OF UCT STUDENT FINANCIAL AID AND DEBT APPEAL
UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL
1. NSFAS funding for first-time-entering and continuing students
To be eligible for financial aids as of 2018, first-time entering student of UCT must come from households that earn an annual income that is not more than R350 000. Students that gain admission before 2018, NSFAS uses a household income of R122 000. Later, UCT decides to use the R350 000 at the standard and provide students similar benefit for the students funded by NSFAS in 2018. Now, the institution takes care of eligible students full cost of study.
NSFAS centrally handle all the application form for NSFAS financial aid including the one for students that have received the funding before. Students are to submit only one financial aid to NSFAS.
2. UCT GAP funding
GAP funding, the institution’s financial assistance programme is also made available by the University of Cape Town, UCT for the “missing middle”. This fund is for students that come from a family that earns above R350 000 per year but not more or less than R600 000. This indicates that UCT extends funding above the government standard. The institution also make allowances available for families where siblings concurrently registered for undergraduate study at the institution.
3. UCT sibling rebate bursary
The UCT sibling rebate bursary programme reduces the undergraduate tuition fee for siblings that do not meet the NSFAS or GAP funding requirements. The bursary is for families that have a combine annual household income of R750 000 with two or more undergraduates at UCT at the same time. This bursary will reduce the qualified sibling tuition fees by 20% for the year. The sibling rebate application form is available on the UCT website, the applications will close on 15 April 2020.
4. Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme
The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) is a private-sector-funded bursary that focuses on providing financial support for “missing middle” ( families that earned between R350 000 and R600 000 annually). It is for students that are pursuing a degree in scarce skills professions.
The programme was started in 2017 to provide support for students studying medicine, actuarial science, engineering and occupational therapy. Now, the financial aid now funds students that are studying chartered accounting and computer science.
5. Other funding
Under the administration and assistance of UCT, funding from cooperates, non-governmental institution and other sponsors provide assistance for eligible UCT students. The requirements for this funding is usually determined by the sponsor. UCT will provide all the documents the funder need to determine who is eligible for the scholarship.
POSTGRADUATE LEVEL
Most of the 2020 postgraduate funding has closed and you can get information on those applications still open.
1. Postgraduate financial support for honours, masterʼs and doctoral students
The institution makes additional financial aid available on a basis similar to undergraduate financial aid. It uses the same income thresholds for eligibility, starting with honours in 2018 and continuing with masterʼs and doctoral students in 2019 and renewing the masterʼs and doctoral aid in 2020. Funding through excellence awards for meritorious students is also available. This initiative serves to strengthen the university’s commitment to transformation at the postgraduate level.
2. International and refugee students at postgraduate level
Students of residence countries other than South Africa have limited opportunity to get scholarships or financial aids. The available scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis with emphases on the merit of the candidates. UCT non-South Africa Students and refugee scholarship are supplementary, and the scholarships do not cover the full cost of study. Applicants in this category should make sure they can provide for their studies cost. Scholarships are one year at honours level, two years of master’s study and three years of doctoral study.
3. Postgraduate diplomas
The financial aid for postgraduate diplomas depends on donor funding. The funds received in 2019 is not much and UCT has not received donor funding for 2020 yet. You can check back on this post to get updated on any funding available for you.
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