UCT Bursaries and Funding

Students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) pay for their studies through a mix of scholarships, bursaries, loans, help from parents, company sponsorship, and part-time or vacation work. UCT offers entrance scholarships to strong school-leavers, and NSFAS handles financial aid applications centrally. The details below come from UCT's funding and fees frequently asked questions and its 2027 fees and payment dates.

Entrance scholarships

Each year, UCT allocates more than R8 million in entrance scholarships to school-leavers coming to study at the university for the first time. South African citizens and permanent residents are eligible, and the awards range from R20,000 to R100,000. You do not apply for a UCT entrance scholarship: UCT considers you automatically.

NSFAS

First-time applications for financial aid, and renewals for existing NSFAS students, are handled centrally by NSFAS. Only South African citizens and permanent residents applying for full-time study in an approved programme are eligible. UCT emails applicants to NSFAS-funded programmes when the NSFAS application cycle opens.

• Apply when the cycle opens, even while you wait for your UCT admission outcome.
• NSFAS does not allow late applications, unless it announces otherwise.
• Track your application on the myNSFAS portal.
• NSFAS usually finalises funding decisions around the time the NSC results are released.

UCT applies the same basic funding rules as NSFAS, and its own funding is limited, with the focus on helping students complete a first qualification.

The sibling bursary

UCT offers a bursary for siblings studying undergraduate programmes at the same time who are not eligible for NSFAS or UCT GAP funding. The family's gross income must be between R600,000 and R750,000 a year, both siblings must be South African citizens or permanent residents studying full-time, and neither may receive other financial assistance. The second sibling receives a bursary equal to 20% of their tuition fees. Application forms are available after registration.

Laptops and funding

Every UCT student needs a laptop from the first day of orientation. First-time students can join the UCT Student Laptop Programme, and the cost is charged to their fee account. NSFAS gives no extra laptop allowance, so NSFAS students pay for it from their book allowance, spread over two years. If you have a sponsor, ask whether it will pay for the laptop.

What you need to pay

For 2027, the first payment for South African students is R36,000 for tuition, plus R47,000 for a catering residence or R31,000 for self-catering. Read more on the UCT fees page.

More funding

UCT lists other sponsors in its Undergraduate Bursaries and Loans Handbook. Browse our bursaries as well.