SBF High School Scholarship 2028 Intake: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: Applications closed Closed 12 August 2026
Provider: SBF
Study level: High school
Academic year: 2028
Last checked: September 2026

Applications for the intake entering Grade 8 in 2028 closed on 12 August 2026.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Closed · applications closed on 12 August 2026 Parents of learners who will be in Grade 6 in 2027 should watch SBF's own website from mid-2027. Latest update ↓

Students for a Better Future places gifted Cape Town learners from low-income homes in top high schools and supports them all the way into work.

About the SBF High School Scholarship

For Grade 6 learners entering Grade 8 two years later.
Placement at SBF partner high schools in the Cape Town metro.
Covers fees, uniform, books, travel, sports kit, meals, camps and workshops.

Eligibility requirements

In Grade 6 when applying.
Strong academic performance.
Financial need.
Living in, or able to attend school in, the Cape Town metro.

How to apply

Watch thesbf.co.za from mid-2027 for the next call.
Prepare school reports, ID or birth certificate and household income documents.
Submit the application before the closing date.

Closing date

12 August 2026 for the 2028 intake.

Contact details

SBF: 021 419 3383
Email: info@thesbf.co.za

FAQs

1. Is the SBF scholarship still open? +

No. Applications for the intake entering Grade 8 in 2028 closed on 12 August 2026. Parents of Grade 5 learners should watch for the next call in mid-2027.

2. What is SBF? +

Students for a Better Future, a Cape Town programme founded in 2007 by the Andreas and Susan Struengmann Foundation, which supports gifted learners from Grade 6 into work.

3. Who can apply? +

Grade 6 learners with strong results and financial need, who will enter Grade 8 at an SBF partner high school in the Cape Town metro.

4. What does it cover? +

School fees, uniform, textbooks, a travel allowance, sports kit, a meal allowance, camps and workshops.

5. How are scholars chosen? +

On financial need and academic performance.

6. How do I contact SBF? +

Call 021 419 3383 or email info@thesbf.co.za, 09:00 to 16:00.

Update note (checked September 2026): applications for the intake entering Grade 8 in 2028 closed on 12 August 2026. Parents of learners who will be in Grade 6 in 2027 should watch SBF’s own website from mid-2027.

This round is not open right now. Check the provider’s own site for the next round.

Visit the provider’s website

About SBF

Scholarship programme (private foundation)

Students for a Better Future (SBF) is a Cape Town scholarship programme sponsored by the Andreas and Susan Struengmann Foundation. SBF supports academically talented learners from low-income homes on a journey from Grade 6 to their first job.…

Read the full SBF profile →

Student funding in numbers

2025811 011students funded by NSFAS580 000 at universities, 231 000 at TVET colleges, on a budget of R48.7 billion.

20261 026 091students approved for NSFAS funding609 403 first-year applicants qualified and 416 688 continuing students met the progression criteria, out of 893 847 applications.

2027 projectedR53.4bnbudgeted for NSFASThe allocation rises from R48.7 billion in 2025 to R51 billion in 2026 and R53.4 billion in 2027. Student numbers for 2027 are not published yet.

Figures from the Minister of Higher Education’s Budget Vote of 3 July 2025 and the NSFAS statement of 2 January 2026. NSFAS is the largest funder, not the only one – we track the rest.