The Tomorrow Trust

The Tomorrow Trust is a South African non-profit organisation founded in 2005 to empower orphaned and vulnerable children and youth through quality education. The Tomorrow Trust supports learners from Grade R to Grade 12 and university students, describing its journey as “From Playground to Professional”.

Registered name

The Tomorrow Trust

Type

Non-profit organisation (education for orphaned and vulnerable children)

Fields funded

BSc, engineering, IT and computer science, property sciences and other STEM degrees

Website

tomorrow.org.za

The whole educational journey

For 20 years the Tomorrow Trust has walked alongside children from Grade R through to graduation. The Trust argues that many interventions offer only extra lessons or short-term fixes, and that such piecemeal approaches can deepen inequality. Instead, the Tomorrow Trust invests in the whole educational lifespan, tracking outcomes and supporting every stage.

The Tomorrow Trust’s model combines academics with psychosocial care, career guidance and digital skills, aiming to give children from under-resourced communities the depth of opportunity usually reserved for top private schools. The Trust stresses that it is neither an app nor an after-school programme.

Digital skills and professional skills

The Tomorrow Trust’s ICT-focused SHIFT programme teaches learners coding, robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, while building digital literacy, problem-solving and creativity. Masterclasses and mentorship develop soft skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership and adaptability. The Trust’s values are growth, compassion and social justice, and it mobilises funds from businesses, government, organisations and individuals, including international grantmakers through its NGOsource equivalency certification.

The tertiary bursary

The Tomorrow Trust’s bursary funds full-time undergraduate STEM study at public universities, in science, engineering, IT and computer science and property sciences, for orphaned and vulnerable youth, first-generation students and students from low-income households. The bursary covers tuition, textbooks and equipment, accommodation and living allowances, with mentorship, psychosocial support, masterclasses and networking. There is no work-back, reflecting the Trust’s focus on holistic youth development rather than recruitment.

Applicants must be South African citizens aged 18 to 35 with at least 60% overall and household income of no more than R350 000. Applications for 2027 close on 30 September 2026 through the Bursio platform.

How to research the Tomorrow Trust

Explain honestly in your motivation what support would help you graduate, since the Trust’s model depends on understanding students’ circumstances. Apply early, because late applications may not be considered.

STEM students can find more options on our Computer Science Bursaries page.