Important: this bursary is only for Black (African, Coloured or Indian) South African citizens who will study their first Honours degree at a South African public university in 2027.
The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (FREF), working with the bursary platform Feenix, is accepting applications for its 2027 Postgraduate Bursary. Successful students can receive full tuition, accommodation of up to R65,000, monthly travel stipends, a book allowance, and food and airtime vouchers for a one-year Honours degree in STEM or Psychology.
Deadline: 31 December 2026 (provisional closing date set by FREF; no time is stated, so submit well before midnight SAST).
Key Details
- Funder: FirstRand Empowerment Foundation, administered through Feenix
- Level: first full-time, one-year Honours degree (NQF Level 8) in 2027
- Fields: selected STEM fields and BA Honours (Psychology)
- Where: South African public universities
- Age: 18–35 as at 31 December 2027
- Applications opened: 28 September 2026
- Closing date: 31 December 2026 (provisional)
Benefits of the FREF Postgraduate Bursary
- Full tuition fees, paid directly to the university
- Accommodation support up to R65,000, only for accredited accommodation billed on your university fee statement
- Monthly travel stipends
- A book allowance
- Food and airtime vouchers
- Extra student support and development services
Note that the bursary is exclusive: if you get funding from another organisation, you cannot also receive FREF funding, and you must disclose other funding.
Eligible Fields of Study
For 2027 FREF lists: Actuarial Science, Agricultural Sciences, BA Honours Arts (Psychology), Biosciences, Climate Sciences, Computer Science, Data Science, Electronics, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Information Management, Information Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Renewable Energy, Risk, Sciences and Statistics. Commerce qualifications are not eligible.
Eligibility
- South African citizen who is African, Coloured or Indian (Black as defined by the B-BBEE Act)
- Aged 18–35 on 31 December 2027
- Applying to study your first full-time, one-year Honours degree in 2027 (current Honours students and those who already have Honours cannot apply)
- At least a 60% average in your undergraduate degree
- At least 60% in NSC Mathematics (Mathematical Literacy does not count)
- Combined household income of R700,000 or less a year (subject to verification)
- Meet the admission requirements of your chosen university and programme
How to Apply
- Read the official FREF eligibility page and confirm your field is on the approved list.
- Prepare PDF files (maximum 5 MB each): a certified ID copy not older than six months, certified Matric certificate, full undergraduate academic record, and your Honours acceptance letter if you have it.
- Have the 13-digit ID numbers of all household members ready. Students with a disability should also prepare an EEA1 form and a recent medical letter.
- Open the FREF online application and complete it. You can save a draft, but keep your draft link safe.
- Submit before 31 December 2026 and watch your email for requests for more documents during screening.
Tips
- Get your documents certified early: certification must be recent and clear, and police stations get busy in December.
- If you are still waiting for your Honours offer, apply anyway and upload the acceptance letter when you get it.
- Confirm your residence is accredited and billed by your university before you sign anything, or accommodation funding will not apply.
- Do not accept another bursary without thinking it through, because FREF funding cannot be combined with other funding.
- Meeting the criteria does not guarantee funding, so also apply to other bursaries and NSFAS-type options in parallel.
