Financial Aid and Funding
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Financial Aid and Funding
The core business and mandate of Financial Aid is to manage and administer various student funding opportunities for deserving students according to sponsor-specific requirements. We aim to ensure that eligible students have access to these funds at all our campuses and allocate the funds through a transparent and equitable application and assessment process.
Use this website to:
- Understand dates and processes related to financial aid.
- Ensure timely delivery of your aid by applying and fulfilling all essential requirements.
- Become informed about the types of financial assistance available.
- Become familiar with satisfactory academic progress standards required to remain eligible for financial aid.
- Contact us to enquire about application statuses, etc.
What is financial aid?
Financial aid is money awarded to students who are financially needy and academically competent, or have a high level of academic achievement. The money can be used to pay for study-related costs as determined by the donor such as tuition fees, accommodation, meals, and books.
What is funding?
Funding is always connected to academic competence or achievement since donors want to be sure that their money is spent on students who take their education seriously. Even financially needy students must be academically competent to qualify for financial aid.
Types of funding
Bursaries
Burasaries are awarded to students by companies, NGOs, government departments, and SETAs. These awards usually have set criteria (such as financial need, academic merit, field of study, gender, place of birth). The donor decides what study-related costs will be covered. Students who complete their studies usually don’t have to repay a bursary, but some bursaries include a service contract with the company granting it.
Loans
A loan is money given to a student on the condition that the student repays it over a set period once they graduate. The student signs a legal agreement with the lending company, and in most cases, a guarantor (someone to repay the money should the student fail to do so) is needed. If a student or their guarantor fails to repay the loan, the company or organisation can take legal action against them to retrieve the money.
Learn about and apply for affordable student funding below:
Scholarships
A scholarship is money granted to a student based on past academic excellence. It is usually only granted for academic merit and usually has no employment conditions, repayments, or general conditions attached.
How To apply
Students who wish to apply for external bursaries, scholarships or loans must apply directly with the companies or organisations offering the funding.
Students who wish to apply for University-administered awards, CPUT scholarships, Merit bursaries, and dean's merit bursaries from CPUT, must apply at the Financial Aid Office.
Application forms for university-administered funding are available from the Financial Aid Offices on the Bellville, Cape Town, Mowbray and Wellington campuses.
Complete and return the application form by the closing dates, along with the necessary supporting documentation.
Accessing allocated funds
University-administered awards, Merit bursaries from CPUT, external bursaries and scholarship funds are administered by the Financial Aid Office.
To access allocated funds students can visit or contact the Financial Aid Office.
Loans offered by financial institutions are usually paid directly to the student.
Important notes
Always adhere to closing dates. Late applications or late submission of documentation will result in forfeiture of financial assistance.
Consult the notice boards in the vicinity of the Financial Aid Office regularly for important and relevant information regarding financial assistance.
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