Atterbury Trust Interest-Free Study Loan

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Atterbury Trust, a Pretoria-based welfare organisation whose trustees include Atterbury Property chief executive Armond Boshoff, lends money to Afrikaans-speaking students in financial need and charges no interest. The Trust calls these awards “rentevrye studiebeurslenings”, interest-free bursary loans: the student studies without paying anything during the degree and starts repaying only once working, and every rand repaid is lent again to a new student. Applications for loans for the 2027 academic year are open and close on 30 September 2026, according to the Trust’s home page.

The Trust has run the scheme since 1999 with money from independent donors. In March 2026 it reported that more than 1,000 Afrikaans students from a wide range of communities had now studied with its help. It reads hundreds of applications a year and says demand always outstrips the budget.

What the loan pays for, and what it leaves out

According to the Trust’s student page, the loan aims to cover a student’s total undergraduate study costs, and in some cases postgraduate costs, including tuition, registration fees and book money. The frequently asked questions on the application site add that the loan does not pay for extras such as accommodation, so students need another plan for rent and living costs. The Trust does not publish a rand limit per student.

Repayment tied to your first salary

There is no interest and no work-back contract. Once the graduate starts working, the Trust draws up an individual repayment plan based on the starting salary, and the student must repay the full amount according to that plan. The Trust’s model depends on those repayments: a loan repaid funds the next student.

Mentoring, a life coach and paid work while studying

Loan holders join a support network as well. The Trust holds regular mentoring sessions, gives students access to a life coach, and runs annual bursary functions in Pretoria, Stellenbosch, Bloemfontein and Potchefstroom. It also offers networking, work exposure and chances to earn an income through the Trust’s other initiatives while students are still studying.

Five criteria, starting with Afrikaans as home language

1. Afrikaans must be your mother tongue.
2. You must be in financial need, and the application must include proof of salaries or household income.
3. The Trust looks for diligence, versatility, drive, resilience and leadership.
4. You must already have applied to NSFAS. Without an NSFAS application you do not qualify.
5. If you will study at a private institution, you must also show proof that you applied for another bursary or loan.

The FAQ on the application site, which still refers to the 2025 round in places, puts the financial-need line at a combined gross annual household income of R250,000 and asks for community involvement. It also says international students studying at South African institutions will be considered. Both prospective and current students may apply.

The online form and the documents it needs

Applications are made on the Atterbury Trust application portal. You start by entering your email address and cellphone number, and the portal sends a one-time PIN by WhatsApp, which lets you return to an unfinished form later. The Trust encourages students to complete their own applications, and says incomplete applications will not be considered. The FAQ lists these documents:

• a photo of the student;
• an ID document;
• your most recent academic record;
• your parents’ or guardians’ payslips, or three months of bank statements.

After the closing date a panel reviews every application. The FAQ says all applicants hear back by mid-November, and shortlisted candidates are invited to a personal interview before the Trust announces its new students. The criteria and FAQ are on the Trust’s application information site. Enquiries go to studente@atterbury.co.za or 012 471 1600; the office is at Die Klubhuis, corner of 18th Street and Pinaster Avenue, Hazelwood, Pretoria.

Because an NSFAS application is a condition, start with our NSFAS guide. Afrikaans students can also look at the BBT scholarship, and our explainer on bursaries versus loans sets out what repayment means.

FAQs