The University of South Africa (UNISA) is a distance education university. In terms of its academic offering, UNISA offers a combination of career-orientated courses usually associated with a university of technology, combined with general formative academic programmes typically linked to a traditional university.
Unisa offers many certificates, degrees and diplomas. How far you get with your studies is entirely up to you. Unisa offers degrees at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels. This gives you the option of studying for as long as you wish and within your own time frame.
Unisa uses alternative teaching and learning methods which therefore has many individuals questioning whether funding is available for those who wish to study with Unisa.
OER Funding: OER stands for Open Educational Resources and are often funded through foundations. Visit this Unisa webpage here to find out more information on OER funding.
Unisa Merit Bursary: Students must have obtained an average of at least 75% and above in their previous year of study. The bursary covers tuition fees and prescribed textbooks only.
Department of Transport bursaries: The bursary covers unemployed youth under the age of 35 and will fund specific courses only.
BANKSETA Lesedi Bursary Scheme for Unisa CTA Level 2: Unisa's College of Accounting Sciences invites applications for the BANKSETA Lesedi Bursary Scheme from students who have already been accepted at Unisa to study CTA Level 2.
Department of Labour Bursaries: Students with disabilities qualify for (apart from any other bursaries) for bursaries from the Department of Labour and are required to apply directly at the Department for these bursaries.
Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme: Bursaries are available to enable eligible students to complete a teaching qualification in an area of national priority. Read our articles on the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme here.
NSFAS: NSFAS offers fully subsidized free higher education and training for poor and working class South Africans where there is up to R350,000 household income per year. This bursary includes tuition fees, learning materials allowances, transport allowances and living allowances. More information can be found here.
Fundi: Fundi offers students loans to fund their studies. Visit their website here for more information.
Feenix: This is a student programme that uses the process of fundraising in order to help students fund their studies. Read our article on Feenix here.
Banks: Many South African banks offer loans for students looking to fund their studies. Read our article to find out which banks offer student loans.
For further financial assistance, go visit the Financial Aid office at your campus.
For funding separate from your university and their Financial Aid office, you can visit the Bursaries Portal to see which bursaries are available to you as a student.
