Key Facts
- Status
- Check Provider for Dates
- Provider
- Field of Study
- Study Level
Eligibility Requirements
- South African citizen, refugee or asylum seeker
- Gross family income of less than R38,000 a month, based on the 2026 criteria
- Aged 35 or younger on 31 March of the study year, based on the 2026 criteria
- Studying full-time at a public university or university of technology that the Foundation supports
- New applicants: registering for honours or a postgraduate diploma
- No full-cost bursary or large partial bursary from another funder
Documents Needed
- A working email address and cellphone number
- Your student number, if you are a returning student
- Proof of the exact monthly income of both parents or guardians (bank statements are not accepted)
- A death certificate if a parent has died, an affidavit for a single-parent household, or an affidavit of unemployment if a parent does not work
About HCI Foundation Bursary
The HCI Foundation Bursary supports talented students who need money to study at a public university or university of technology. The HCI Foundation now funds new students at honours and postgraduate diploma level, and it keeps funding its current bursars until they finish their undergraduate degrees.
The way you apply has changed. The Foundation has permanently closed its online application portal, and it now works directly with selected universities. Applications are by invitation only, through your institution's own channels. The Foundation says that applications for 2026 are closed and will reopen in February 2027.
Funding Details
This is a partial bursary. It pays tuition fees of up to R42,000 a year. The Foundation pays the money straight into your fee account at your institution, usually around July, and it does not pay students directly. It does not normally cover accommodation, and it does not pay for repeat years or repeat modules.
The bursary does not have to be paid back. The Foundation can ask for repayment only in special cases: if you fail through a lack of commitment without telling it in advance, if you refuse to take part in the programme, or if you gave false information to get the bursary.
Bursars are expected to give back. This includes community projects, tutoring and mentoring, workshops and surveys during and after your studies. Bursars can also apply to the Foundation's Graduate Development Programme when opportunities arise.
Where You Can Study
The bursary is limited to public universities and universities of technology in South Africa, and only to the institutions that the Foundation selects. Its bursary page lists the institutions that it supports, and that list can change from year to year. Ask your own university before you count on this bursary.
The Foundation is based in Cape Town, but it funds students across the country through its partner institutions.
About HCI Foundation
About the HCI Foundation The HCI Foundation is the corporate social investment arm of Hosken Consolidated Investments, a JSE-listed investment holding company. HCI has interests in gaming, hotels, property, transport, me…
View full provider profile →- Address
- Suite 801, 76 Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town, 8005
- Phone
- +27 21 481 7560
Fields of Study & Who Can Apply
The bursary is open to South African citizens, refugees and asylum seekers. For the 2026 academic year, the Foundation funded two groups of students:
- Current HCI Foundation bursars who are still completing an undergraduate degree at a public university or university of technology
- New honours and postgraduate diploma students at the institutions that the Foundation works with
The Foundation does not fund master's or doctoral study. It also does not fund part-time students, distance learning students, or students at TVET colleges. If you are a first-year undergraduate, this bursary is not for you, so look at other funders as well.
Because applications are now by invitation, the best first step is to ask your faculty or your university's financial aid office whether it works with the HCI Foundation.
Application Procedure
You cannot apply online any more. From 2027, the HCI Foundation identifies students through the universities that it works with, and it invites them to apply through each institution's internal channels. Ask your faculty office or financial aid office from February 2027 whether it is taking part. For general questions, contact the HCI Foundation on 021 424 6010 or info@hcifoundation.co.za.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When do HCI Foundation bursary applications open?
The Foundation says applications will reopen in February 2027, by invitation through selected universities.
How much does the HCI Foundation bursary pay?
It pays tuition fees of up to R42,000 a year, straight into your fee account.
Does the HCI Foundation fund master's degrees?
No. It funds honours and postgraduate diploma study, plus its existing undergraduate bursars.
Can I hold an NSFAS loan and an HCI bursary?
You may still qualify if you hold a loan or a small partial bursary, but the Foundation withdraws its bursary if you receive a full-cost or large partial bursary.
