Studying at a tertiary institution is an expensive endeavour which should be carefully planned. This planning should start early in Grade 12 to ensure success.
A number of options are available for the payment of your studies at a tertiary institution. These include the following
(i) Own funds
(ii) Bursary
(iii) Loans
(i) Own funds
You or your parents should make provision for your studies.
(ii) Bursaries
A number of role players provide bursaries to prospective students. These include companies, tertiary institutions, and government. Make sure that you apply early as the closing date in most cases is in the middle of the year. See their websites for more information.
Companies
Most companies supply bursaries to deserving students. Contact the human resources department of these companies directly for more information. Another option is to visit the company’s website for more information.
Tertiary Institutions
Another option is to contact the tertiary institution that you intend to attend for information about sport and academic bursaries. The university's financial aid office can provide you with more information about the institutions program. See list of institutions for more information.
Sector Education & Training Authorities
The South African government, through the department of Labour also have a bursary program. This is achieved through the 23 Sector Education & Training Authorities (SETA’s) established in SA in terms of the Skills Development Act of 1998. The manufacturing engineering and related services SETA, MERSETA, provides bursaries to metallurgist and chemical engineers. The information can be accessed at the following website: http://www.merseta.org.za
The information about bursaries provided by the other SETAS can be obtained from the department of Labour.
Service Companies
Another option is to contact service companies such as Careerwise, which provide professional assistance in the application for bursaries. Visit their website for more information: http://www.careerwise.co.za/
Other
Other sources of bursaries are state linked research organisations such as the CSIR, MINTEK, and COUNCIL FOR GEOSCIENCE.
(iii) Loans
You can finance your studies by obtaining a loan from a number of sources. One option is to contact a commercial bank for a personal loan. These include ABSA, Nedbank, First National Bank, Standard Bank.
Another option is to contact the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS). The funds are supplied by government, international donors and the private sector. The successful candidate receives financial assistance in the form of a loan, of which up to 40% of the loan can be converted into bursaries, depending on students’ pass rates. See their website for more information. Their website is: https://www.nsfas.org.za.
Eduloan provide another option. They are funded by Deg (German Investment & Development Agency), International Finance Corporation (Private Arm Of World Bank), Standard Bank, and AFD (French Development Agency). Visit their website for more information: http://www.eduloan.co.za
Additional Information:
The following website provides some general information on studying in South Africa and other related topics:http://www.southafrica.info/public_services/citizens/education/studentloans.htm