About UKZN
The University of KwaZulu-Natal, or UKZN, is a public research university. It formed in 2004 when the University of Natal merged with the University of Durban-Westville. Today it teaches on campuses in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, and it serves students from across the province and beyond.
Both founding universities served very different communities during apartheid. As a result, access for students who cannot pay for study remains a central part of the university's mission. Its funding office exists to put that mission into practice.
How UKZN supports students
The Student Funding division handles most financial support for UKZN students. It works with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which pays tuition and allowances for qualifying students at public universities. It also manages university loan funding and final-year support.
In addition, the division administers bursaries and scholarships from several sources. These include corporate donors, social responsibility funds, deceased estates and the university's own money. Some awards go to top Grade 12 learners who plan to study at UKZN. The university has said no separate application is needed for these merit awards, because it uses your Senior Certificate results.
The Pius Langa Scholarship and the Frene Ginwala Scholarship are two named awards. The first rewards top matriculants. The second supports high-achieving African women who enter the university.
UKZN also lists the Emma Smith Overseas Scholarship. It funds a woman graduate from Durban to do postgraduate study overseas for two years. Applicants must have a degree of at least four years and meet an age limit. The scholarship is worth several hundred thousand rand, and it comes from the C G Smith family. Closing dates and rules change each year, so check the current notice.
What to know before applying
Bursaries run by Student Funding mostly go to returning undergraduates. Published guidance says you should have paid your previous year's fees in full. You should also have an average above 64.5% in those courses. Your gross family income should not be above R600,000 a year. These figures can change, so confirm them on the funding pages.
These awards are need-based or merit-based. They come from the university and its donors, not from an employer. For that reason, they do not normally carry a work-back obligation. UKZN's own funding pages describe a bursary as a gift that you do not repay. However, individual donor awards may set extra conditions, so read each offer letter.
Apply for NSFAS and for university funding as early as you can. Use only the official UKZN student funding website, and never pay anyone to help you apply.
Beyond the university's own awards, other funders also support UKZN students. NSFAS remains the largest source for many families, so apply for it even if you plan to chase private bursaries as well. Keep copies of every document you submit. Late or incomplete applications are one of the most common reasons students miss out on funding.
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