SAILI High School Scholarship 2027: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: Check with the provider
Provider: SAILI High School
Study level: High school
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

SAILI recruits Grade 6 learners in August and September each year for a Grade 8 start about 18 months later.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

SAILI (the Scientific and Industrial Leadership Initiative) is a Cape Town non-profit that has placed talented learners from low-income homes in good public high schools since 1993. Its scholarship pays fees and extras at a partner school from Grade 8 to Matric and wraps the learner in tutoring, counselling and monitoring so that they finish with a bachelor’s pass in mathematics and science.

About the SAILI High School Scholarship

The scholarship runs from Grade 8 to Grade 12 at one of SAILI’s partner schools and provides:

School fees of up to about R12 000 a year, or a partial contribution at more expensive schools.
An educational package of up to about R5 300 a year for uniforms, stationery and textbooks, based on need.
Tutoring in mathematics and science, and counselling when needed.
Quarterly academic monitoring, workshops and educational outings.

Partner schools

Cape Town: Bergvliet, Claremont, De Kuilen, Milnerton, Pinelands, Rylands, Spine Road, South Peninsula and The Settlers high schools. Worcester: Worcester Gimnasium. Learners must apply to one of these schools themselves; the scholarship does not secure the place.

SAILI Scholarship eligibility requirements

Currently in Grade 6 at a school in the Cape Town area or Worcester.
A code 6 or 7 (70% or more) in English, Mathematics and Natural Science in the latest Grade 6 report.
Gross household income of less than about R15 000 a month before deductions, verified at selection.
A positive attitude to learning and the intention to attend one of the partner schools.

How to apply for the SAILI Scholarship

In August or September of the Grade 6 year, request the application form by emailing applysaili@gmail.com, or use the online form link posted on the SAILI Facebook page.
Email the supporting documents to apply@saili.org.za: the learner’s birth certificate, the latest Grade 6 report, proof of household income (payslips or an affidavit) and a short essay on why the learner should receive the scholarship.
Learners write SAILI’s mathematics test. Those scoring 80% or more write a second assessment early in Grade 7.
Finalists are interviewed with their families and income is verified before the scholarship is confirmed for Grade 8.

SAILI Scholarship closing date

Applications close at the end of the third school term of the Grade 6 year, usually late September, with document deadlines into January. Confirm the current date with SAILI.

Contact details

Applications: applysaili@gmail.com or apply@saili.org.za
General: scholarships@saili.org.za, 021 001 7881
Website: saili.org.za

SAILI also publishes a useful list of other high school scholarship providers in the Western Cape. See our own list of high school bursaries and scholarships for national programmes.

FAQs

1. When do SAILI applications open? +

SAILI accepts applications from Grade 6 learners in August and September each year, roughly 18 months before the learner starts Grade 8. Its website is being rebuilt, so the current call and dates are posted on the SAILI Facebook page. Email applysaili@gmail.com to request the form.

2. Who qualifies? +

Grade 6 learners in the Cape Town area, or Worcester, with a code 6 or 7 (70% or more) in English, Mathematics and Natural Science, from households earning less than about R15 000 a month before deductions, who will apply to one of SAILI's partner high schools.

3. Which are the partner schools? +

In Cape Town: Bergvliet, Claremont, De Kuilen, Milnerton, Pinelands, Rylands, Spine Road, South Peninsula and The Settlers high schools. In Worcester: Worcester Gimnasium.

4. What does the scholarship cover? +

School fees up to about R12 000 a year, an educational package of up to R5 300 a year for uniforms, stationery and textbooks, plus tutoring, counselling, educational outings and quarterly academic monitoring from Grade 8 to Matric.

5. How does selection work? +

Learners write a SAILI mathematics test (80% needed to go forward), then a second assessment early in Grade 7, followed by interviews and a home visit to confirm income.

6. What documents are needed? +

The learner's birth certificate, the Grade 6 Term 2 or Term 3 report, proof of household income (payslips or an affidavit) and a short essay on why the learner deserves the scholarship.

Update note (checked September 2026): SAILI’s apply page shows applications as closed and says the window opens on 1 November of a learner’s Grade 6 year and closes at the end of February of Grade 7. Source: saili.org.za.

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

Apply on the provider’s website