Military Veterans Bursary 2027: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: No current round published Last closed 30 September 2017
Provider: Military Veterans
Study level: Undergraduate, Postgraduate
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

The department no longer runs a single annual closing date; the last published one was 30 September 2017.

Reviewed & verified by Thabo MokoenaSenior Education EditorVerified

The Department of Military Veterans (DMV) provides education support to South Africa’s military veterans and their dependants as one of the benefits under the Military Veterans Act. It pays the full cost of schooling from Grade 1 to 12 and of a first undergraduate qualification at a public university or college, with no repayment or work-back, for veterans and dependants who are registered on the department’s database and pass its means test.

About the Military Veterans education support

Basic education: school fees, uniforms and related costs for Grades 1 to 12.
Tertiary education: the full cost of a first undergraduate qualification at a public institution, including tuition, accommodation, books and allowances.
No repayment and no service obligation.
Postgraduate study is no longer funded, and support is for a single undergraduate qualification only.

Military Veterans Bursary eligibility requirements

South African citizen who is a military veteran, or the dependant (spouse or child) of a military veteran.
The veteran must be registered on the DMV database.
Meets the department’s financial means test.
Formally registered, or accepted, for an approved programme at a public institution.

How to apply for Military Veterans education support

Download the education support application form from dmv.gov.za or collect it from a provincial DMV office.
Attach certified copies of your ID, proof of the veteran’s registration and military service, proof of relationship for dependants, proof of income and recent bank statements, academic records, proof of registration or acceptance and proof of residence.
Submit the application to your provincial DMV office, or to the head office at 328 Festival Street, Hatfield, Pretoria, or Private Bag X943, Pretoria, 0001.

Military Veterans Bursary closing date

No fixed date. Apply before your institution’s registration deadline, ideally by the end of October 2026 for 2027.

Contact details

Department of Military Veterans: 012 765 9375 or 012 765 9304
Address: 328 Festival Street, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0083
Website: www.dmv.gov.za

Veterans’ dependants who do not qualify should apply to NSFAS and see the other schemes on our government bursaries page.

FAQs

1. When does the Military Veterans bursary close for 2027? +

The Department of Military Veterans no longer runs a single annual closing date. Applications for education support are taken through its provincial offices and processed for the coming academic year, with the department asking for applications before institutions' registration deadlines. Apply by the end of October 2026 for 2027 to be safe.

2. Who qualifies? +

South African military veterans, and the dependants of military veterans, who are registered on the DMV database and meet the department's financial means test, for basic education (Grades 1 to 12) or a first undergraduate qualification at a public institution.

3. What does it cover? +

The full cost of study at a public institution: tuition, accommodation, books and allowances, with no repayment or service obligation.

4. Does it fund postgraduate study? +

No. The department funds a single undergraduate qualification only and no longer supports postgraduate studies.

5. How do I apply? +

Complete the DMV education support application form from dmv.gov.za and submit it with your ID, proof of the veteran's registration and military service, proof of relationship for dependants, proof of income and bank statements, academic records, proof of registration or acceptance and proof of residence to your provincial DMV office or the head office in Pretoria.

6. Who do I contact? +

The Department of Military Veterans on 012 765 9375 or 012 765 9304, or its provincial offices.

Update note (checked September 2026): the department no longer runs a single annual closing date; the last published one was 30 September 2017. Applications are taken through its provincial offices and processed for the coming academic year, so submit yours well before your institution’s registration deadline, ideally by the end of October 2026 for 2027. The details below are from the department’s current education support rules.

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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.