Key facts
- Status
- Applications open
- Provider
- South African Veterinary Foundation
- Field of study
- Medical
- Study level
- Postgraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
The foundation does not publish a fixed annual closing date the way the large corporate schemes do.
VerifiedSouth Africa has one veterinary school, at Onderstepoort near Pretoria, and the clinical years of the BVSc are among the most expensive study in the country. The South African Veterinary Foundation, a non-profit founded in 1984, funds veterinary research and helps fourth and fifth-year students through those final years with bursaries and study loans.
About the SAVF Bursary
- For fourth and fifth-year BVSc students at the University of Pretoria.
- Offered as a bursary or a study loan, depending on the applicant.
- Covers a contribution towards fees and study costs in the clinical years, with amounts decided case by case.
- The foundation also funds veterinary research at honours, master’s and doctoral level.
Eligibility requirements
- Registered for the BVSc at the University of Pretoria.
- In the fourth or fifth year of the degree.
- A sound academic record.
- Demonstrated financial need.
How to apply for the SAVF Bursary
- Contact the foundation at savf.org.za, or ask the Faculty of Veterinary Science student administration office, for the current application form and date.
- Attach your academic record, proof of registration, a fee statement, proof of household income and a motivation letter.
- Submit the completed application before the date the foundation gives you.
Closing date
Not published on a fixed annual cycle. Confirm with the foundation or the faculty.
Contact details
- South African Veterinary Foundation: savf.org.za
- University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort: 012 529 8000
Veterinary students should also apply to the Department of Agriculture bursary, which funds BVSc and veterinary nursing, and NSFAS.
FAQs
1. When does the SAVF bursary close for 2027? +
The foundation does not publish a fixed annual date on the same cycle as the big corporate schemes. Email the foundation or the Faculty of Veterinary Science's student administration at Onderstepoort early in the academic year to ask when applications open and close.
2. What is the SAVF? +
The South African Veterinary Foundation, a non-profit founded in 1984 that funds veterinary research at all levels as well as bursaries and loans for veterinary students.
3. Who can apply? +
Fourth and fifth-year BVSc students at the University of Pretoria, which runs the country's only veterinary school, at the Onderstepoort campus.
4. Why only fourth and fifth year? +
The clinical years are the most expensive and the hardest to fund, and by then students have a track record the foundation can assess. Earlier years are usually covered by NSFAS or university funding.
5. What does it cover? +
A contribution towards fees and study costs in the clinical years, offered as a bursary or a study loan depending on the applicant. Amounts are decided case by case.
6. How do I apply? +
Through the foundation, using the application form it publishes, with your academic record, proof of registration, a fee statement, proof of household income and a motivation. The faculty's student administration office can point you to the current form.
Update note (checked September 2026): The SA Veterinary Foundation’s bursaries page has not been updated since its 2025 round and gives no current closing date. Source: savf.org.za.
Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.
Apply on the provider’s website