AIMS Bursary 2027, Requirements & Application

Key facts

Status: Check with the provider
Provider: AIMS
Study level: Postgraduate
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

AIMS opens applications around the middle of the year for the intake starting the following August, and closes them in the last quarter.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences began in a converted hotel in Muizenberg in 2003 and has grown into a network of centres across the continent. Its one-year Master’s in Mathematical Sciences is fully funded, residential and taught by lecturers flown in from universities around the world, and it is open to graduates from anywhere in Africa.

About the AIMS Scholarship

Programme: a one-year structured Master’s in Mathematical Sciences, with streams including data science and computational science.
Covers tuition, accommodation and meals at the residential campus, living expenses, travel to and from the centre, and medical insurance.
Centres: South Africa (Cape Town), Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon and Rwanda.

AIMS Scholarship eligibility requirements

Citizen of an African country.
A four-year university degree in mathematics, science, engineering or a related field.
Strong mathematical ability and fluency in English.
Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply for the AIMS Scholarship

Open the application portal at aims.ac.za and choose the centre you want to study at.
Upload your academic transcripts and degree certificates, two academic references, a personal statement and proof of your citizenship.
Submit before the closing date. Shortlisted applicants are interviewed, and the academic year starts in August.

Closing date

Set per centre, generally in the last quarter of the year before the intake. Confirm on the AIMS website.

Contact details

AIMS South Africa, Muizenberg, Cape Town: 021 787 9320
Website: aims.ac.za

Mathematics and science postgraduates should also apply to the DSI-NRF postgraduate scholarship and see the funders on our science bursaries page.

FAQs

1. When does the AIMS scholarship close for 2027? +

AIMS opens applications around the middle of the year for the intake starting the following August, and closes them in the last quarter. Check aims.ac.za for the exact date, because it differs between the AIMS centres.

2. What is AIMS? +

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, a pan-African network of centres of excellence founded in Muizenberg, Cape Town in 2003, with centres in Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, Rwanda and South Africa.

3. What does the scholarship cover? +

Everything: tuition, accommodation and meals at the AIMS residential campus, living expenses, travel to and from the centre, and medical insurance.

4. Which programme? +

The one-year structured Master's in Mathematical Sciences, with streams in data science, computational science and related fields, taught by lecturers from universities around the world.

5. Who qualifies? +

African citizens with a four-year university degree in mathematics, science, engineering or a related field, who are fluent in English and can show strong mathematical ability. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

6. How do I apply? +

Online through the AIMS application portal, with your academic transcripts and degree certificates, two academic references, a personal statement and proof of your citizenship.

Update note (checked September 2026): AIMS opens applications around the middle of the year for the intake starting the following August, and closes them in the last quarter. Check aims.ac.za for the exact date, because it differs between the AIMS centres.

Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.

Apply on the provider’s website

Student funding in numbers

2025811 011students funded by NSFAS580 000 at universities, 231 000 at TVET colleges, on a budget of R48.7 billion.

20261 026 091students approved for NSFAS funding609 403 first-year applicants qualified and 416 688 continuing students met the progression criteria, out of 893 847 applications.

2027 projectedR53.4bnbudgeted for NSFASThe allocation rises from R48.7 billion in 2025 to R51 billion in 2026 and R53.4 billion in 2027. Student numbers for 2027 are not published yet.

Figures from the Minister of Higher Education’s Budget Vote of 3 July 2025 and the NSFAS statement of 2 January 2026. NSFAS is the largest funder, not the only one – we track the rest.