Going into further education after school is a huge step in any young South African’s life. It can help provide a headstart in your professional career and also provide some great life experiences.
Unfortunately tertiary education is getting increasingly expensive for students. Each year the price of a degree is going up and today a single student can owe up to R200 000, which is equal to the amount of an annual salary of the average professional in South Africa. Therefore looking at the funding support available has become more important than ever before.
The NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) provides a highly valuable service to a large number of students looking to further their study. However, it has been discussed that more focus should be on funding qualifications for today’s economy and the future. The reason for high unemployment may be due to students not having the necessary qualifications required for today’s jobs.
Therefore it is always best for students to research the field of study they are interested in and ensure that it aligns with what they would like to work in after completing their degree. South African universities should also be taking a closer look at the programmes they are offering / teaching and what can be done to make them more relevant for the employment market.
Here are some of the key dates for those looking to start a degree in tertiary education for the 2023 – 2024 academic year::
January 2022 – Start researching the different degrees available that you would like to study. You can get information and different subjects by looking on the University websites and student prospectus documents.
January – April 2022 – Keep an eye on different bursaries which may offer funding support for the area you would like to study. Allbursaries has a comprehensive list of bursaries available to students and is sorted by subject area and closing dates.
GCRA Bursary (March Closing Date) – The Gauteng City Region Bursary is available to any student that resides in the Guateng province for any field of study.
Motsepe Foundation Bursary (September Closing Date) – From the Motsepe family, offers bursaries for students looking to study a wide range of subjects.
Funza Lushaka Bursary (October Closing Date) – Bursary programme to support those interested in pursuing a degree in teaching.
September – November 2022 – It has not yet been confirmed when applications will open but it is usually around September time. Make sure you read up about the NSFAS application to check if you are eligible and how to apply.
August – November 2022 – University applications for 2023 will usually close either end of August or September, remember it is always advised to get your application in as early as possible.
October 2022 – The end of October is the deadline for your CAO Application, if you miss this date you will have to pay additional fees.
September 2022 – January 2023 – Keep a lookout for any updates from the Universities you have applied to. Read more about the CAO Status Check to find out how to check the central applications office for the latest update on your application.
Being organised and prepared makes the process of starting tertiary education a lot simpler and straightforward. It can also increase your chances of getting funding assistance from a bursary or the NSFAS scheme, many people simply miss the deadline for many of the applications due to lack of organisation. It can be a huge help to make a note of all the key dates in your calendar, this way you know where you stand in terms of application deadlines etc.