Key facts
- Status
- Check with the provider
- Provider
- Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Last checked
- September 2026
Dell Young Leaders is invitation-only and publishes no application dates; qualifying first-year financial aid students at partner universities are invited each year.
VerifiedDell Young Leaders is a university scholarship programme run in South Africa by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the private charitable foundation of the Dell family (the foundation says it is not affiliated with Dell Technologies). It picks first-generation students in their first year of an in-demand degree who already qualify for financial aid, then supports them through graduation and into a first job. There is no open application: each year the programme invites qualifying first-year students at its partner universities, and only invited students may apply.
The foundation reports that Dell Young Leaders in South Africa graduate at a rate of 86%, and that 98% are placed in jobs or graduate programmes within three months. The alumni network has more than 1,300 members, and the model is being extended to Kenya in 2026.
Financial aid first, then a top-up
The programme does not replace a student’s existing funding. Its FAQ says the scholarship money works as a top-up that covers gaps in the student’s full cost of attendance, such as tuition, housing and other essentials, and that joining does not affect financial aid already awarded. Programme staff also help students manage their cost of attendance. No rand amount is published, because the top-up depends on each student’s gap.
There are no repayments and no work-back conditions. To stay on the programme, a student must meet the university’s own minimum academic rules for continuing and keep meeting funding requirements; Dell Young Leaders adds no academic sub-minimum of its own.
Support beyond the money
The programme is built on relationships, with programme staff available on each campus for one-on-one support. It works in four areas:
- Academic: personal guidance to keep students on track to graduate.
- Wellness: resources for confidence, balance and mental resilience.
- Financial: the top-up described above.
- Career: coaching, professional skills training, internships, case studies, job shadowing and introductions to employers.
The programme also runs an employer service aimed at that placement goal. Companies browse a candidate list of students and graduates, request introductions, and offer vacation work or job shadowing, all at no cost because the foundation funds the service. Employers quoted on the site include FirstRand and EY. The professions graduates move into range from accounting, actuarial science and engineering to medicine, law, teaching and social work.
How students are chosen
The programme looks for first-generation students who show determination, ambition and a sense of purpose towards their family and community. To be eligible, a student must:
- be in the first year of a professional or in-demand degree at one of the programme’s partner universities;
- meet the programme’s annual household income criteria and be eligible for financial aid on household income;
- show academic potential and commitment to finishing the degree;
- be willing to take part fully in the programme’s support.
Invitations come from the university’s financial aid office and directly from the programme by email. Programme staff talk to candidates about their university and career goals before inviting them, and applications from anyone who was not invited are not accepted. The Dell Young Leaders website does not publish a list of partner universities or a timetable for invitations. One alumni story on the site notes that the first Dell Young Leaders class at Stellenbosch University began in 2020. A first-year student who receives financial aid and is unsure whether their university takes part can ask the financial aid office.
Fake offers using the Dell name
The foundation has published an alert about online scams that use the Dell Young Leaders name. It states that the foundation and its programmes never approach people to offer grants, never charge an administrative, handling or transfer fee, and never ask for donations. A message saying a student has won a Dell scholarship and must pay a fee or send sensitive personal details is fraudulent; genuine invitations come through the university financial aid office and the programme itself.
Students who have not been invited still have other routes: the state NSFAS bursary, the ISFAP bursary, which also pairs funding with student support, and the wider list of undergraduate bursaries.
