NWU Full Cost Master’s and PhD Bursary

Key facts

Status
Check with the provider
Provider
North-West University
Study level
Postgraduate
Academic year
2026
Last checked
September 2026

NWU still invites email applications for the Full Cost Master's and PhD Bursary under the subject line FULL COST M&D BURSARY 2026, with no published closing date and no 2027 round announced.

Keagan HendricksWritten by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)
Naledi KhumaloReviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

North-West University (NWU) runs a Full Cost Master’s and PhD Bursary for full-time research students who cannot pay for postgraduate study themselves. Prof. Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka announced the fund on 18 August 2025 at the launch of NWU’s annual Research and Innovation Week, and the university has since finalised the criteria. Unlike NWU’s standard honours, master’s and doctoral bursaries, which every admitted postgraduate is considered for automatically, this one needs its own application, sent by email.

Tuition plus R95,000 for living costs

NWU’s 2026 Instant Information sheet on postgraduate bursaries says the full cost award covers tuition fees as well as R95,000 for living cost allowances. The living-related money is paid monthly, not as a lump sum. Holders may not have another full cost bursary, and any other NWU bursary a student receives is deducted from the NWU allocation, so the university does not fund the same student twice.

Household income, marks and study mode

  • Household income must be less than R600,000 a year.
  • The most recent degree must have been passed with a result of 70% or higher. Applicants below 70% can still apply if their faculty submits a motivation with the other documents.
  • Applicants must meet the faculty and programme admission requirements for the master’s or PhD they want to take.
  • Study must be full-time. NWU treats anyone employed and earning a salary as a part-time student, because study is not their primary activity, and part-time students are not funded.
  • South African permanent residents and SADC applicants qualify, subject to submitting a SAQA certificate.
  • Programmes presented in the NWU Business School, such as the MBA and the Business School PhD, are excluded.

NWU gives preference to STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics): 65% of allocations go to STEM students and 35% to other fields. Students in the humanities, law, education, theology or economic sciences can apply, but compete for the smaller share.

Publication, assistantship and six-monthly reviews

The bursary carries working conditions that NWU’s automatic postgraduate bursaries do not. Funding continues only while the student meets milestones set by the faculty, and these are evaluated every six months. Each holder must work 20 hours a month as a student assistant. Holders are also expected to produce a publication in a peer-reviewed book or journal, or show evidence of preparing one for submission.

Sending the application to finance@nwu.ac.za

NWU calls its current route an interim application process. There is no online form. Interested students email finance@nwu.ac.za with the subject line FULL COST M&D BURSARY 2026 and attach two documents:

  1. Academic transcripts of the most recent degree.
  2. Proof of income.

Applicants under the 70% threshold add the faculty motivation, and SADC applicants the SAQA certificate. NWU has not published a closing date for these applications, and its pages say nothing yet about a 2027 round or a new subject line. Questions go through the Helpdesk on the NWU Student Portal, according to the NWU Postgraduate Financial Support Services page.

The automatic NWU bursaries for comparison

Students who do not qualify for the full cost award are still considered automatically for NWU’s standard postgraduate bursaries once admitted. The 2026 sheet lists these values:

NWU bursaryFull-time value (2026)Minimum result
Master’s bursaryR32,700 a year, R65,400 over two years60% average in the completed honours degree
Doctoral bursaryR35,410 a year, R106,230 over three years60% average in the completed master’s degree
Postgraduate academic merit bursaryR5,000, once, in the first year75% (cum laude) in the preceding degree

Part-time and working students may receive 50% of the standard master’s or doctoral allocation. Standard bursaries must be repaid if a student stops studying or does not finish within the prescribed period. More postgraduate funding options are collected on our postgraduate bursaries page, and the national DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship is a separate option. Our North-West University profile lists other NWU funding.

FAQs

1. How much does the NWU Full Cost Master’s and PhD Bursary pay? +
It covers tuition fees plus R95,000 for living cost allowances, with the living-related allowance paid monthly.
2. Is the full cost bursary awarded automatically? +
No. NWU’s honours, master’s and doctoral bursaries are automatic, but the full cost bursary needs an email application to finance@nwu.ac.za with the subject line FULL COST M&D BURSARY 2026.
3. Can I apply if my last degree result was below 70%? +
Yes, but your faculty must submit a motivation along with your transcript and proof of income.
4. Can working or part-time students get it? +
No. NWU funds full-time students only and counts anyone employed and earning a salary as part-time.
5. Does the bursary cover an MBA? +
No. Programmes presented in the NWU Business School, including the MBA and its PhD, are excluded.
6. What must I do while holding the bursary? +
Meet faculty milestones reviewed every six months, work 20 hours a month as a student assistant, and produce, or show work towards, a peer-reviewed publication.
Update note (checked September 2026): NWU’s Postgraduate Financial Support Services page still invites email applications for the Full Cost Master’s and PhD Bursary under the subject line FULL COST M&D BURSARY 2026. NWU publishes no closing date and has not yet announced a 2027 round.

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

Apply on the provider’s website

Or send your application by email:

finance@nwu.ac.za

Put FULL COST M&D BURSARY 2026 in the subject line.

About North-West University

Public university

North-West University (NWU) is one of South Africa's largest public universities, operating across three campuses in Potchefstroom, Mahikeng and Vanderbijlpark. NWU welcomes students from more than 50 countries and offers undergraduate, postgraduate and distance programmes across economic sciences,…

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Website
nwu.ac.za
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