University of the Western Cape (UWC)

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is a public university in Bellville, Cape Town. UWC describes itself as a research-led, learning and teaching African university with a legacy of social justice, community engagement and graduate employability.

Registered name

University of the Western Cape (UWC)

Type

Public university

Fields funded

Education bursaries run with UWC’s Faculty of Education and INSETA

Website

uwc.ac.za

From apartheid college to a university of the struggle

UWC was established by the apartheid government around 1960 as a university college for coloured students. Students and staff rejected that purpose, and in the 1980s UWC openly committed itself to non-racial education and became known as an intellectual home of the democratic movement. That history of social justice still shapes UWC’s identity, from its student development work to its Queer Dubs support initiative.

Faculties and a leading dental school

UWC has faculties of arts and humanities, community and health sciences, dentistry, economic and management sciences, education, law and natural sciences, plus extended curriculum programmes that give students an extra year to complete a qualification. UWC’s Faculty of Dentistry is one of the largest dental schools in Africa. Competition for most UWC degrees is high, and meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee a place.

A central Financial Aid Office

UWC’s Financial Aid Office coordinates student funding across the university, working with faculties and departments. It manages NSFAS, scholarships, bursaries and bursary loans, liaises with donors, and supports financially disadvantaged students, especially those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. UWC says it tries to balance responsible stewardship of funds with a student-centred culture.

UWC’s bursaries and opportunities page shares external calls, such as the Babette Taute honours scholarship for English students, the KN Inzuzo Trust and Thebe Foundation bursaries, SANSA postgraduate bursaries, and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC.

Teaching bursaries at UWC

UWC’s Faculty of Education and the insurance sector’s SETA, INSETA, have funded student teachers at UWC, including bursaries for educators, which BursariesAfrica covers on the pages below.

Dentistry closes first at UWC

UWC opened 2027 applications on 2 April 2026. Dentistry and oral health programmes closed on 31 August 2026, and all other programmes close on 30 September 2026. UWC also offers extended programmes, which the APS guide below explains for applicants just below the cut-off.

Using UWC bursary notices

Book a campus tour through UWC’s student enrolment team if you live in Cape Town, and check UWC’s bursary notices page regularly, since it lists external funders.

See our Education Bursaries list for student teachers.