Aspen Pharmacare Bursary Programme

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Aspen Pharmacare, the Durban-based pharmaceutical group listed on the JSE, runs a bursary programme in South Africa for a short list of degrees at named public universities. Aspen decides each year how much to spend and who is funded. A successful student can have up to 100% of registration and tuition fees paid, plus up to half the cost of prescribed books. Applications go through an online form. The form for 2026 funding now shows the message “Bursary Applications are now closed”, and Aspen has not published dates for the next round.

Eleven degrees, from BPharm to BCom Taxation

Aspen funds only the qualifications on its list. The mix reflects the company’s work in medicine manufacturing, finance and supply chain:

• Health and science: Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB), BSc Chemistry, BSc Microbiology, and BSc Pharmacology specialising in Regulatory Affairs
• Commerce: BCom Taxation, BCom Accounting and BCom Supply Chain Management
• Technology and engineering: BSc Computer Science and Information Technology, Bachelor of Data Science, and Bachelor of Engineering

The programme is aimed at first degrees. Aspen does not fund MBAs and says it considers master’s or doctoral degrees “only in limited circumstances”.

The 24 institutions on Aspen’s list

Applicants must already be accepted at one of these institutions, grouped the way Aspen groups them. A degree from the list above is eligible only where the institution actually offers it; for example, not every university on the list has a pharmacy school.

Fees, books and Aspen’s discretion

Aspen’s page lists three items the bursary may cover: registration fees up to 100%, tuition up to 100%, and prescribed books up to 50%. Each is described as “up to”, so a bursary might not cover the full amount. The page does not mention accommodation, meals, a living allowance or a laptop, so students should not assume any of these are paid. Aspen also does not publish minimum marks, an income ceiling or a work-back obligation. The Aspen Bursary Committee decides awards each year according to the funds available, its decisions are final, and Aspen says it will not correspond about them.

Any South African citizen studying a listed degree at a listed institution can apply, and Aspen states that the children of its South African employees are eligible too.

Documents to have ready for the online form

• your South African ID, as a certified copy
• your acceptance letter from the institution
• a tuition fee quotation or pro-forma invoice from the institution
• a quotation for prescribed textbooks, if applicable
• final results for the previous academic year, if you are continuing your studies
• payslips for both parents or your guardian, or, if they are not working, a sworn affidavit or proof of UIF registration, plus proof of any other household income

Because Aspen asks for an institutional fee quote and an acceptance letter, a Matric learner can only apply once an offer has arrived. All applications must be made online. The Aspen bursary page links to the company’s external bursary application form. On 27 September 2026 that form was titled for 2026 and showed that applications were closed. Aspen does not publish its opening or closing dates in advance, so returning to the bursary page is the only way to see when a new form goes live.

Pharmacy students can compare other funders in the pharmacy bursaries list, including the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa bursaries. Students applying for MBChB can check the medicine bursaries list.

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