Key facts
- Status
- Applications open Closes 30 September 2026
- Provider
- Stellenbosch University
- Study level
- Postgraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
Both the PSP and the Thom bursary are open for 2027 and close on 30 September 2026 according to the SU Postgraduate Funding Office and the PSP 2027 call.
VerifiedStellenbosch University (SU) funds its own postgraduate students through several schemes run by the Postgraduate Funding Office in the Division for Research Development. This page covers two that are open to students in any field: the Postgraduate Scholarship Programme (PSP), the university’s flagship award, and the smaller HB and MJ Thom Trust bursary, which rewards leadership. Both are for full-time study at SU in 2027, and both close on 30 September 2026. Each has its own online form, and neither replaces the separate application for admission to a postgraduate programme.
Postgraduate Scholarship Programme (PSP)
The PSP opened on 10 August 2026. It is for current and prospective Honours, Master’s and Doctoral students, and international students may apply. SU awards either a full or a partial scholarship. Each faculty sets its own minimum marks and value range, so the PSP 2027 call document has a separate page for each faculty and a separate application link on its third page.
Values and minimum marks by faculty
| Faculty | Master’s (per year, up to 2 years) | Doctoral (per year, up to 3 years) | Minimum previous mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| AgriSciences | R75 000 to R150 000 | R80 000 to R170 000 | Not stated in the call |
| Arts and Social Sciences | R150 000 | R170 000 | 65% |
| Economic and Management Sciences (research Master’s only) | R75 000 to R150 000 | R80 000 to R170 000 | 65% (Honours 60%) |
| Education | R50 000 to R150 000 | R50 000 to R170 000 | 65% (BEd Hons 70%) |
| Engineering | Up to R100 000, plus at least 50% more from the department | Up to R115 000, plus at least 50% more from the department | 65% |
| Law (LLM, LLD by research) | R75 000 to R150 000 | R80 000 to R170 000 | 60% LLB final year; 65% for LLD |
| Medicine and Health Sciences | R75 000 to R150 000 | R80 000 to R170 000 | 65% |
| Military Science (MMil, PhD) | R75 000 to R150 000 | R80 000 to R170 000 | 65% |
| Science | R75 000 to R150 000 | R80 000 to R170 000 | 60% (Honours 65%) |
| Theology (MTh) | R50 000 to R150 000 | R50 000 to R170 000 | 65% |
Honours awards are for one year and range from R70 000 to R140 000 depending on the faculty. Arts and Social Sciences pays a flat R140 000. Engineering, Law, Military Science and Theology fund only Master’s and Doctoral study. In Economic and Management Sciences, South African Honours applicants must have applied to the NRF first, and the faculty considers only unsuccessful NRF applicants. In Military Science, members of the Department of Defence must show that their application for study at state expense was turned down.
PSP conditions that rule applicants out
- Part-time students, PG Diploma students and people working full-time or more than 20 hours a week are not eligible. The Medicine and Health Sciences call also excludes registrars studying for an MMed or a sub-specialist MPhil.
- Applicants may not already hold a qualification at the same level or higher.
- The PSP cannot be combined with another full scholarship or with statutory funding such as the NRF, MRC or CSIR. Holders of full-cost NRF scholarships, permanent staff and employer-funded students do not qualify.
- Master’s awardees must prepare at least one submission-ready journal article, and Doctoral awardees at least two.
Applicants combine their documents into a single PDF. The exact list varies by faculty, but usually includes an ID or passport, certified academic records, a concise academic CV, a letter from a prospective supervisor and, at Master’s and Doctoral level, a short concept note or research idea. Students who were funded by NSFAS or ISFAP as undergraduates should attach proof, such as a fee statement. SU says applicants who hear nothing within three months of the closing date should consider their application unsuccessful. Queries go to psp@sun.ac.za.
HB and MJ Thom Trust bursary
The Thom bursary is for South African citizens going on to full-time Honours, Master’s or Doctoral study at SU in any field. The university’s bursaries yearbook says the trust makes at most ten awards a year, and neither the yearbook nor the funding office publishes the amount. The bursary recognises leadership after Matric rather than marks alone. Applicants must show exceptional achievement in at least two of these areas: SU student leadership structures, sport, cultural activities or community service, and leadership in a religious organisation. SU prefers candidates with a sound academic record but does not require one.
The Thom application form opened on 8 July 2026. Applicants attach a comprehensive CV and two testimonials from people who can speak with authority about their leadership. The funding office says outcomes will follow in December 2026.
Both schemes are listed on the SU Postgraduate Funding Office page, and general questions go to postgradfunding@sun.ac.za. Our Stellenbosch University profile lists the university’s other bursaries. The DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship matters here because a full-cost NRF award rules out the PSP, and the postgraduate bursaries hub covers funding at other universities.
FAQs
Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.
Apply on the provider’s websiteOr send your application by email:
psp@sun.ac.za
About Stellenbosch University
Public university (research-intensive)
Stellenbosch University (SU) is a public research-intensive university in the town of Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands. Stellenbosch grew from the Stellenbosch Gymnasium and Victoria College, and received full university status in 1918. Its students are widely known…
Read the full Stellenbosch University profile →- Website
- sun.ac.za