Rhodes University Merit Awards for First-Years

Key facts

Status
Applications open
Provider
Rhodes University
Study level
Undergraduate, University
Academic year
2027
Last checked
September 2026

Rhodes awards 2027 merit awards automatically after registration from final NSC results (47+ points); online applications to study at Rhodes close on 30 September 2026.

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

Rhodes University in Makhanda gives South African first-years with strong final Grade 12 results a merit award worth between R29,940 and their full tuition fee. Nobody applies for it. Rhodes works out each award from final National Senior Certificate (NSC) results and credits it to the student’s fees account after registration. Rhodes’ 2026 fees booklet calls it the Academic Merit Award Scheme, and the undergraduate prospectus for 2027 entry lists it as Merit Scholarships. The one step a matriculant must take is to apply to Rhodes for a place, and online applications for 2027 close on 30 September 2026.

Award scale for NSC matriculants

The Rhodes undergraduate prospectus, which the admission gateway labels as the 2027 prospectus, sets the award by admission point score (APS) and by faculty:

APS (NSC)Commerce, Education, Humanities and LawPharmacy and Science
53 to 56Full tuitionFull tuition
51 to 52R35,251Full tuition
49 to 50R33,779R33,779
47 to 48R29,940R29,940

In Pharmacy and Science, full tuition starts at 51 points rather than 53. Below 47 points an NSC candidate receives no merit award; the fees booklet states that “at least 47 admission points” are needed to qualify.

Rhodes calculates APS differently from many universities. Each of six subjects scores its percentage divided by 10, so 78% counts as 7.8 points, and the six scores are added together. Life Orientation is left out, although Rhodes still requires at least 50% in it for acceptance. The prospectus shows a worked example that totals 43.3.

South Africans with foreign school qualifications

South African citizens who wrote a foreign school-leaving qualification, such as A Levels, IGCSE or the IB, are on a separate, lower scale. Rhodes converts their symbols into points under its international rating system.

PointsCommerce and HumanitiesPharmacy and Science
48 or moreFull tuitionFull tuition
46 to 47R35,251Full tuition
44 to 45R33,779Full tuition

Rules on citizenship, first-time entry and withdrawal

  • Only South African applicants qualify. International students are excluded, and Rhodes repeats this in capitals on its fees page.
  • The award goes to students “enrolling for the first time for an undergraduate degree”. Rhodes does not mention returning or transferring students.
  • Rhodes calculates the award on final Grade 12 examination results.
  • If a student withdraws from Rhodes during the academic year, the merit award is reduced pro rata.

“Full tuition” means the annual block fee for the degree. At 2026 rates, Rhodes’ fees booklet lists R63,519 for a BA, R66,082 for a BSc and R69,494 for a BCom. Rhodes’ Council sets the 2027 fees in October or November, so the 2027 figures are not yet published. Rhodes expresses its top award as full tuition and does not say that a merit award extends to residence or meal fees.

Getting the award onto your fees account

  1. Apply for admission on the ROSS online application system. Rhodes’ prospectus says online applications are open from 1 April to 30 September, and Grade 11 final or Grade 12 Term 2 reports can be used.
  2. Accept the offer and make the Initial Fee Payment. For South African first-time entrants in 2026, this was 10% of the annual tuition fee (plus 25% of the residence fee for students in residence), due by 23 January 2026.
  3. Register. Rhodes credits the merit award to the fees account after registration, based on the final NSC results.

The fees booklet adds that holders of Rhodes scholarships and merit awards may set their award off against the Initial Fee Payment, with the award letter emailed to studentfees@ru.ac.za. Rhodes’ Student Fees and Financial Aid office handles questions about how an award has been applied.

Other Rhodes funding alongside a merit award

A merit award does not stop a student from applying for need-based funding. Rhodes directs students to apply to NSFAS directly at nsfas.org.za. The prospectus also lists sport bursaries of R10,000 to R20,000, the Ally Weakley Rugby Bursary (one full scholarship covering tuition and accommodation), Red Bull bursaries covering tuition and accommodation, and two Sutherland Old Rhodian bursaries for first-time entering students. Rhodes’ older fees page describes an Old Rhodian Bursary for children of alumni, which is means-tested, requested from the Financial Aid Office and closes on 15 March. For more on the university’s awards, see our Rhodes University profile and the wider university bursaries list.

FAQs

1. Do I need to fill in a form for a Rhodes merit award? +
No. Rhodes calculates merit awards from final NSC results and credits them to the fees account after registration. You only need to apply for admission and register as a first-year.
2. What APS do I need for full tuition at Rhodes? +
For NSC candidates, 53 to 56 points in Commerce, Education, Humanities and Law, or 51 points and above in Pharmacy and Science. South Africans with foreign qualifications need 48 or more in any faculty, or 44 or more in Pharmacy and Science.
3. What is the smallest merit award? +
R29,940, for NSC candidates with 47 or 48 points. Rhodes gives no merit award below 47 points on the NSC scale.
4. Can international students get the award? +
No. The scheme is for South African students only, and Rhodes states that international students are not eligible.
5. What happens if I leave Rhodes during first year? +
According to the 2026 fees booklet, the merit award is reduced on a pro rata basis if you withdraw during the academic year.
6. When is the deadline to apply to Rhodes for 2027? +
Rhodes’ prospectus gives the online application period as 1 April to 30 September, so 30 September 2026 is the last day for 2027 applications on ROSS.
Update note (checked September 2026): Rhodes’ undergraduate prospectus for 2027 entry keeps the merit scale at R29,940 to full tuition from 47 NSC points, awarded automatically after registration. Online applications to study at Rhodes close on 30 September 2026.

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About Rhodes University

Public university

Rhodes University is a public university in Makhanda, formerly Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape. Rhodes was founded in 1904 as Rhodes University College and is one of South Africa's smaller traditional universities, known for a residential, close-knit campus…

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Website
ru.ac.za
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