Caroline Mack Foundation

About the Caroline Mack Foundation

The Caroline Mack Foundation is a charitable trust that works in South Africa, with its bursary aimed at students in the Western Cape. It has one clear focus, which is to help more people qualify as nurses. The country's public health system has a well-known shortage of nurses, and the Foundation treats funding students as a direct way to respond. The Foundation works with SD Recruitment, which handles the bursary applications and helps look after recipients. The Foundation's website tells visitors to watch its site and social media pages for announcements when a new round opens.

How the Foundation supports students

Because the Foundation funds nursing and nothing else, its resources go a long way for each student. The most recent bursary advert described several benefits. These include full tuition fees for the length of the qualification and a small monthly stipend. Recipients also get mentorship and support from industry professionals, and pre-placement medical screening arranged by the Foundation. Career support is aimed at helping graduates begin working in healthcare.

The qualification must be an undergraduate nursing programme recognised by the South African Nursing Council. The student must be accepted at, or enrolled in, an accredited higher education institution in South Africa.

What to know before applying

The recent criteria asked for South African citizens who live in the Western Cape. Applicants were either in Matric or had already completed it. They needed an academic average of at least 65% and had to show real financial need. Preference went to people who would otherwise struggle to pay for study.

The document list was long. It included certified ID or birth certificate copies, academic results, proof of enrolment, proof of residence and income documents for parents or guardians. Applicants also supplied an affidavit of financial need, a two-page motivational letter, a CV and two reference letters. Applications were made online through SD Recruitment. The most recent round closed on 12 September 2026, and late applications were not accepted.

One important point is the service condition. The latest advert states that the community service year counts toward the first year of a bursary work-back obligation. In other words, graduates are expected to work in return for the funding, and the full length of that obligation is set in the bursary agreement. Read that agreement carefully before you sign it. The Foundation is not accepting applications between rounds. Prepare your documents early, ask referees ahead of time and check the Foundation's website for the next opening date. Dates and criteria can change each year.