Securing entry into higher education can be a very stressful period and with the high cost of undertaking a university qualification, millions of South African students rely on bursaries to fund their studies.
Numerous companies and organisations from various sectors have already begun taking applications for the 2023 academic year.
The demand for tertiary education funding is high and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) remains insufficient and cannot accommodate all students needing funding, therefore it is crucial that young people know how and where to source different funding methods.
In an interview Social Investment Specialist, Shamiso Chideme said:
You’ll find that from August to December you will see the pools of bursaries that are available and windows for bursaries will start opening.
In recent years there haven't been many career guidance workshops held at schools to assist learners with funding options and most of the advertising is being done online via company or organisation websites and social media.
Chideme says that there are several online platforms that are offering bursaries and organisations often use these platforms to advertise bursary programmes.
“Some corporates are still going to schools to ensure that they are putting up pamphlets and flyers in various schools within rural communities and townships.” she says.
One the biggest challenge learners are facing is having access to facilities, such as online platforms that can help them apply. Corporate social investors are encouraged to factor this element in when advertising bursaries.
Companies and organisations are also encouraged not to only prioritize high academic performance when selecting who to fund because there is a large margin of young people that do quality for tertiary education admission who might not have obtained above average results.
