AJ Foundation Bursary 2027: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: Check with the provider
Provider: AJ Foundation
Study level: High school
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

The foundation has closed applications in October in past rounds, most recently 31 October, and no 2027 date had been published when we checked.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The AJ Foundation was started in 2016 by the professional footballer Cole Alexander and the business mentor Jessie Julius, to help young people from the Cape Flats and the wider Cape Metropolitan area get to university. It is a small, community-funded bursary, open to any field of study at a Western Cape institution.

About the AJ Foundation Bursary

Fields: any field of study at a registered tertiary institution in the Western Cape.
Value: the first award, in 2018, was R40 000; the amount varies with the funds the foundation raises.
Aimed at students from the Cape Metropolitan area.

AJ Foundation Bursary eligibility requirements

South African citizen aged 17 to 25.
Living in the Cape Metropolitan area.
In Matric or with Matric, with a strong academic record.
Intending to study at a registered tertiary institution in the Western Cape, with demonstrated financial need.

How to apply for the AJ Foundation Bursary

Email admin@theajfoundation.co.za to request the application form and confirm the closing date.
Attach a certified ID, certified Grade 11 and Matric results and your parents’ or guardians’ certified IDs.
Email everything as a single PDF with “AJ Foundation Bursary Application” and your full name in the subject line, before the closing date.

AJ Foundation Bursary closing date

31 October in past rounds. No 2027 date has been announced.

Contact details

Telephone: 074 203 2000 or 074 181 8185
Email: admin@theajfoundation.co.za

Cape Town students should also apply to NSFAS, the City of Cape Town bursary and see our Western Cape government bursaries page.

FAQs

1. When does the AJ Foundation bursary close for 2027? +

The foundation has closed applications in October in past rounds, most recently 31 October. No 2027 date had been published when we checked. Email the foundation from August 2026 to confirm.

2. What is the AJ Foundation? +

A Cape Town non-profit founded in 2016 by the professional footballer Cole Alexander and the business mentor and youth leader Jessie Julius, which funds students from the Cape Metropolitan area.

3. How much is it? +

The first award, in 2018, was worth R40 000. The value varies by award and by the funds the foundation raises.

4. Which fields? +

Any field of study at a registered tertiary institution in the Western Cape, from STEM to humanities, commerce and vocational programmes.

5. Who qualifies? +

South African citizens aged 17 to 25 living in the Cape Metropolitan area, in Matric or with Matric, with a strong academic record and demonstrated financial need, who intend to study at a registered Western Cape institution.

6. How do I apply? +

Email the completed application form and all supporting documents as a single PDF to admin@theajfoundation.co.za, with 'AJ Foundation Bursary Application' and your full name in the subject line, attaching a certified ID, certified Grade 11 and Matric results and your parents' or guardians' certified IDs.

Update note (checked September 2026): the foundation has closed applications in October in past rounds, most recently 31 October, and no 2027 date had been published when we checked. Email the foundation from August 2026 to confirm. The details below are from the last published call.

There is no online form for this one. Applications are sent by email.

admin@theajfoundation.co.za

Put AJ Foundation Bursary Application in the subject line.

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.