Deadline: November 18, 2011 and May 27, 2011
Who is eligible?
The Postgraduate Support Bursary is a resource for extremely financially needy students registered with the University for postgraduate programmes, an honours, Master’s or doctoral degree. This scheme is available to fulltime and part-time postgraduate students. Part-time students qualify for a smaller amount. It is awarded on extreme financial need and a recommendation by the study leader or promoter.
How is financial need determined?
Financial need is determined by a means test that takes the following into consideration:
• Family income
• Other bursaries received
• Family size
• Home Consumers’ Index
There is no predetermined cut-off point for family income, but it can generally be accepted that a student will not be assisted from the fund if family income is such that a commercial bank will accept the breadwinner(s) as surety for a study loan.
General information
Allocation is subject to availability of funds. The Postgraduate Support Bursary amount is not sufficient to cover all study costs and students should also apply for other bursaries and loans, and/or have supplementary funds available.
Bursaries are paid, after receipt of the signed Declaration and completed financial planning, in two instalments, in March and July. The second payment is subject to receipt of a satisfactory progress report from the supervisor, as well as to the results of the means test after other bursaries may have been allocated to a student during the course of the year and the financial position may have improved drastically due to this extra income.
Please note that needy students are classified as those who have a genuinely low family income. Students who experience financial problems because of lifestyle choices (housing, transport, education of offspring) do not qualify as such.
How to apply
Application should be done electronically via the student portal www.mymaties.com from 1 September 2011. This bursary has two closing dates:
* 18 November 2011: First round of awards to be made by the end of January 2012
* 27 May 2012: Second round of awards (PLEASE NOTE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS) to be made by the end of July 2012.
