Beit Trust Scholarship 2027: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: Applications open Closes 12 February 2027
Provider: Beit Trust
Study level: Undergraduate, Postgraduate
Academic year: 2027
Applications open: 1 December 2026
Last checked: September 2026

Applications open on 1 December 2026 and close on 12 February 2027, with interviews usually in April.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Open · closes 12 February 2027 · 139 days left Latest update ↓

The Beit Trust was founded in 1906 with the fortune Alfred Beit made in the Kimberley diamond fields and on the Witwatersrand. It funds postgraduate study for young people from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi, at leading universities in the United Kingdom and at four South African universities. The South African link is where you study, not who can apply.

About the Beit Trust Scholarship

Level: master’s programmes. PhD funding is exceptional and requires outstanding merit. Undergraduate study is not funded.
Universities in the United Kingdom: Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Oxford, St Andrews and Strathclyde.
Universities in South Africa: Rhodes, Stellenbosch, Cape Town and Pretoria.
Covers full tuition and academic fees paid to the university, a living allowance, visa, health and travel costs, and economy-class flights. Spouses and dependants are not supported.

Beit Trust Scholarship eligibility requirements

A national or permanent resident of Zambia, Zimbabwe or Malawi.
A strong first degree and admission to a master’s programme at one of the partner universities.
A clear intention to return home and contribute to development in your country.

How to apply for the Beit Trust Scholarship

Apply directly to your chosen partner university for admission to the master’s programme.
Complete the Beit Trust application at beittrust.org.uk between 1 December 2026 and 12 February 2027, with your academic credentials, references and personal statement.
Shortlisted candidates are interviewed, usually in April, in their home country.

Beit Trust Scholarship closing date

12 February 2027, with applications opening on 1 December 2026.

Contact details

Website: beittrust.org.uk

South Africans should apply to the Chevening scholarship (6 October 2026), the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation scholarship and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

FAQs

1. Can South Africans apply for the Beit Trust scholarship? +

No. The Beit Trust funds only nationals and permanent residents of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. South Africa appears in the scholarship because several South African universities are study destinations, not because South Africans are eligible. South Africans should apply to Chevening, the Commonwealth scholarships or the Mandela Rhodes Foundation instead.

2. When does the Beit Trust scholarship close for 2027? +

Applications open on 1 December 2026 and close on 12 February 2027, with interviews usually in April.

3. What does it cover? +

Full tuition and academic fees paid to the university, a living allowance, visa, health and travel costs, and economy-class flights to and from the study destination. Spouses and dependants are not supported.

4. Which levels and universities? +

Master's programmes, with PhD funding only in exceptional cases. Study is at partner universities: Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Oxford, St Andrews and Strathclyde in the United Kingdom, and Rhodes, Stellenbosch, Cape Town and Pretoria in South Africa.

5. How do I apply? +

Apply to your chosen partner university first, then submit a Beit Trust application with your academic records, references and personal statement through the trust's website during the application window.

6. Who was Alfred Beit? +

The financier who made his fortune in the Kimberley diamond fields and the Witwatersrand gold rush; the trust he founded in 1906 funds education and development in the three countries that were then Northern and Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

Update note (checked September 2026): The Beit Trust’s own scholarships page says the next round opens on 1 December 2026 and closes on 12 February 2027. It is only for nationals or residents of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Source: beittrust.org.uk.

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

Apply on the provider’s website

About Beit Trust

UK-registered charitable trust

The Beit Trust was established in 1906 under the will of Alfred Beit, a German-born financier who made his fortune in the Kimberley diamond fields and on the Witwatersrand goldfields. Alfred Beit's will first created a fund for…

Read the full Beit Trust profile →

Address: Beit House, Grove Road, Woking, GU21 5JB, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1483 772575
Email: enquiries@beittrust.org.uk
Website: beittrust.org.uk

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.