UFS Postgraduate Diploma Bursary 2027: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: Applications open Closes 30 November 2026
Provider: University of the Free State
Study level: Postgraduate, Undergraduate
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

The Centre for Graduate Support opens its call on 1 August and closes it on 30 November for the following academic year.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Open · closes 30 November 2026 · 43 days left Latest update ↓

The University of the Free State funds students entering a postgraduate diploma through a tuition fee bursary administered by its Centre for Graduate Support. It is one of a set of UFS postgraduate tuition bursaries alongside the honours and master’s awards, and is aimed at students with no other source of funding.

About the UFS Postgraduate Diploma Bursary

Value: R27 000 towards tuition, credited to the student’s UFS account after registration.
Duration: one year only.
Not covered: any balance of tuition, study guide fees, residence fees, levies and outstanding fees from previous years.

Recipients must attend five Research Capacity Development workshops during the year and be available for 120 hours of service to the university if needed. The bursary is reversed if the student cancels, is excluded for misconduct or fails to meet these conditions.

UFS Postgraduate Diploma Bursary eligibility requirements

Registering for a postgraduate diploma at UFS for the first time in the coming year. Students who registered for the diploma before the previous July are not eligible.
At least 65% for the third year of the undergraduate degree.
No other source of funding for the year.
South African and international students may apply. UFS staff and their family members on study remission may not.
Preference for study that contributes to the UFS research agenda. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee an award; awards depend on available funds.

How to apply for the UFS Postgraduate Diploma Bursary

Download the call for applications from the Centre for Graduate Support pages on ufs.ac.za after 1 August.
Complete the application form in the call, including your UFS student number, diploma, faculty and expected completion date.
Attach your third-year undergraduate academic record in PDF, or your first-semester results if you are still completing your degree, and submit your final results by 30 November.
Email the application to postgradfunding@ufs.ac.za by 30 November. Provisional feedback is given within two weeks of a complete application.

UFS Postgraduate Diploma Bursary closing date

30 November each year for the following academic year. Expect 30 November 2026 for 2027.

Contact details

Centre for Graduate Support: postgradfunding@ufs.ac.za, 051 401 7161
Address: 205 Nelson Mandela Drive, Park West, Bloemfontein, 9301

See also the UFS honours bursary and the funders on our postgraduate bursaries list.

FAQs

1. When does the UFS postgraduate diploma bursary close for 2027? +

The Centre for Graduate Support opens the call on 1 August and closes it on 30 November for the following year; the 2025 call closed on 30 November 2024. Expect the 2027 call to close on 30 November 2026, with final undergraduate results due by the same date.

2. How much is it? +

R27 000 towards tuition, credited to the student's UFS account after registration. Students remain liable for any balance, study guide fees, residence fees and levies.

3. Who qualifies? +

Students registering for a postgraduate diploma at UFS with at least 65% in the third year of their undergraduate degree, with no other funding, who did not register for the diploma before the previous July. South African and international students may apply; UFS staff and their families on study remission may not.

4. What are the conditions? +

Attend five Research Capacity Development workshops run by the Centre for Graduate Support during the year, and be available for 120 hours of service to the university if needed. Cancelling your studies or failing these conditions reverses the bursary.

5. How do I apply? +

Complete the application form in the call and email it with your third-year academic record (or first-semester results if still studying) to postgradfunding@ufs.ac.za by 30 November.

6. Who do I contact? +

The Centre for Graduate Support at postgradfunding@ufs.ac.za or 051 401 7161.

Update note (checked September 2026): the Centre for Graduate Support opens its call on 1 August and closes it on 30 November for the following academic year. The 2025 call closed on 30 November 2024. The 2027 call is expected to follow the same timetable, closing on 30 November 2026, with bursaries confirmed by mid-December. The details below are from the 2025 call.

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

Apply on the provider’s website

About University of the Free State

Public university

The University of the Free State (UFS) is a public university based in Bloemfontein, with campuses in Qwaqwa and on its South Campus in Bloemfontein. UFS traces its origins to 1904, when classes began at Grey College in…

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Website: ufs.ac.za