FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Undergraduate Bursary for 2027

The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Undergraduate Bursary supports first-year students beginning a first undergraduate degree at a traditional South African public university. The funded degree list includes Commercial Sciences such as Accounting, Actuarial Science, Economics and Financial Management, alongside programmes in other critical skills areas. StudyTrust administers the bursary on behalf of the Foundation.

Applicants must be Black South African citizens, be no older than 21 in their first year, have at least level 5 Mathematics in Grade 12 and have applied for or received provisional admission to an eligible full-time degree. The published household income ceiling is R700 000 combined gross annual income. Current Grade 12 learners and applicants who completed matric no more than three years earlier may be considered.

The bursary covers tuition, accommodation, meals, learning resources, a monthly stipend and a computer for first-year students. StudyTrust’s published application season runs from 1 June to 30 September. The 2027 cycle is closed; applicants should monitor StudyTrust for the next intake.