Key facts
- Status
- Applications open Closes 10 November 2026
- Provider
- UCT
- Study level
- Postgraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
Applications for 2027 are open until 10 November 2026 on UCT's PG Online Funding Application, and only need-based applications are considered this round.
VerifiedThe University of Cape Town (UCT) Postgraduate Financial Aid Bursary helps South African citizens and permanent residents pay for full-time Honours, Master’s or Doctoral study at UCT. Applications for 2027 are open until 10 November 2026 through UCT’s Postgraduate Online Funding Application. The 2027 round has one major change: UCT is not accepting merit-based bursary applications. Only students who pass a financial means test will be considered, and UCT tells students who do not meet its income criteria not to apply.
Two income bands decide what you can get
UCT assesses applications using the National Means Test that NSFAS applies, together with its own criteria. Each applicant ends up in one of three groups:
| Gross annual family income | Outcome | What UCT pays |
|---|---|---|
| Below R350 000 | Financial aid eligible | A financial aid bursary as a contribution towards the cost of study for the year |
| R350 001 to R600 000 | GAP tuition bursary eligible | A percentage of approved course tuition fees |
| Above R600 000 | Not eligible for need-based support | No UCT award, because there are no merit bursaries for 2027 |
UCT’s funding page says awards range “from smaller supplementary amounts to larger amounts”, but it does not publish rand values. Under its transformation policy, UCT gives priority to Black South African and permanent resident applicants who qualify on need. It defines Black as African, Coloured and Indian.
The 70% rule and the degrees UCT will not fund
Passing the means test is not enough. The 2027 award criteria also require:
- an average of at least 70% for your previous qualification
- an application through UCT’s Admissions Office for a full-time Honours, Master’s or Doctoral place
- no more than 20 hours of paid work a week during the year of study
Some qualifications are excluded. These are MBAs, MMeds, certain professional degrees and full coursework Master’s degrees, and Master’s or Doctoral programmes with a research component under 33.3%. The fourth year of a Bachelor’s degree, the PGCE, the LLB and postgraduate certificates and diplomas are also excluded. UCT will not fund a second degree at the same level.
NRF funding cannot be held together with UCT funding. UCT still advises all applicants to apply to the NRF, and the Medical Research Council where relevant. It warns that the NRF’s Master’s and Doctoral deadline falls much earlier than UCT’s 10 November deadline.
Applying on the PeopleSoft Student Portal
- First-time UCT applicants must submit their 2027 admission application before they can open the funding form.
- Log in to the UCT PeopleSoft Student Portal and complete the PG Online Funding Application.
- Upload all the supporting documents for the means test. If UCT finds a document is wrong, you have two days to resubmit it.
Students who had NSFAS or UCT funding as undergraduates, or full financial aid for Honours, must still complete the form. UCT runs webinars on the form and the award process in August, September and October. Late or incomplete applications are not considered. Enquiries go to pgfunding@uct.ac.za or 021 650 3622, and UCT asks students to use the Service Request tile on the portal.
How long the bursary lasts
A successful applicant is funded for one year of Honours, the first two years of a Master’s, or the first three years of a doctorate, always as a full-time student. Renewal is automatic, subject to satisfactory academic progress, so students moving from the first to the second year of a Master’s, or through the years of a doctorate, do not reapply. UCT can cancel an award and recover money already paid if the holder breaks the conditions.
International and refugee students are not eligible for this bursary; see the UCT International and Refugee Scholarship instead. Our UCT profile lists the university’s other awards, and the DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship page covers the NRF round that UCT recommends alongside this one. The official page is UCT merit and need awards.
FAQs
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About UCT
Public university (research-intensive)
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a public, research-intensive university on the slopes of Devil's Peak in Cape Town. UCT traces its roots to the South African College, founded in 1829, which makes it the oldest university…
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- uct.ac.za
