Aspen Pharmacare

About Aspen Pharmacare

Aspen is a South African pharmaceutical company that makes and sells medicines, and its parent, Aspen Pharmacare Holdings, is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The group works in prescription medicines, consumer health products and hospital products, and it sells in South Africa and in many other countries.

A company of this kind needs pharmacists, scientists, regulatory specialists, engineers, accountants and supply chain staff. That is why Aspen funds students in several fields, and not only in pharmacy.

How Aspen supports students

Aspen runs a bursary programme for South African citizens who want a formal qualification at a listed institution. According to Aspen's own bursary page, the programme funds eleven degrees. These include the Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Data Science, and Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology and computer science. Commerce degrees in taxation, accounting and supply chain management also appear on the list.

The bursary is aimed at undergraduate students. Aspen does not fund MBA degrees, and it considers master's or doctoral study only in limited circumstances. The company decides at its own discretion which qualifications and which institutions it funds, and it sets the awards each year based on the funds it has. You can read the full details on our Aspen Bursary page.

Children of Aspen South Africa employees may also apply, so the scheme is not limited to outside candidates.

What to know before applying

You must already have a place at one of the institutions on Aspen's list before you apply. The list covers traditional universities, comprehensive universities, universities of technology and one health sciences university. If your institution is not on the list, your application cannot succeed.

Aspen asks for a certified copy of your ID, your acceptance letter, a fee quotation from your institution, and a textbook quotation if it applies. Continuing students must add their final results from the previous year, and every applicant must supply proof of household income, such as a parent's payslip, a sworn affidavit or proof of UIF registration.

The bursary committee's decisions are final, and Aspen states that it will not enter into correspondence about them. Aspen's page does not give an opening or closing date, a work-back period or a bursary-specific contact, so check the page itself before you plan. Several third-party sites quote a closing date, but you should not rely on those until you see it on Aspen's own page.

Prepare your documents early, because quotations from institutions can take time to arrive. Apply only through the form on Aspen's website.