Key facts
- Status
- Applications open Closes 30 September 2026
- Provider
- UKZN
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
The entrant scholarships are automatic for learners offered a place through the CAO; UKZN's CAO closing date for 2027 is 30 September 2026 (MBChB closed 30 June 2026).
VerifiedThe University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) pays three kinds of entrant scholarship to top Grade 12 learners who start a first degree at UKZN: the Pius Langa Scholarship for the highest-ranked matriculants in each province, the Frene Ginwala Scholarship for the top African female entrants, and Entrant Merit Scholarships for learners with Level 7 results across five or six subjects. None of the three has an application form. UKZN’s 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus says the awards are made once the Department of Basic Education releases Senior Certificate results, and only to learners who applied through the Central Applications Office (CAO) and were offered a place.
Award values in the 2027 prospectus
| Scholarship | Who receives it | First-year value | Kept in the next year if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pius Langa Scholarship (Prestige Entrant Scholarship) | NSC matriculants ranked in the top ten in each of the nine provinces; learners from IEB schools in KwaZulu-Natal ranked in the top 50 nationally in the IEB final examinations | R50,000 | Weighted average of at least 80% on a normal full-year load |
| Frene Ginwala Scholarship (Prestige Entrant Equity Scholarship) | The top 10 African female entrants who register at UKZN | R20,000 | Weighted average of at least 70% on a normal full-year load |
| Entrant Merit Scholarship, six subjects | Level 7 or higher in at least six academic subjects | R25,000 | Weighted average of at least 80%, subject to degree and College requirements |
| Entrant Merit Scholarship, five subjects | Level 7 or higher in at least five academic subjects | R20,000 | Weighted average of at least 80%, subject to degree and College requirements |
For the merit awards, Life Orientation and Mathematical Literacy do not count towards the five or six subjects. The prospectus describes the renewed merit award as being kept “at R25 000” in the following year of undergraduate study.
The Pius Langa figure needs a note. The 2027 prospectus and the Study@UKZN funding page both give R50,000. A 2025 entrant flyer on the Student Funding website printed R100,000 for the same scholarship. This page follows the 2027 prospectus because it is the document written for the 2027 intake. Confirm the amount with a Financial Aid Advisor if it affects your plans.
No form, but the CAO application is compulsory
The route to these awards is your ordinary undergraduate application. UKZN takes first-year applications through the Central Applications Office, and the prospectus lists these closing dates for first-semester 2027 entry:
- MBChB (Medicine): the form and payment had to reach the CAO or UKZN by 30 June 2026.
- All other programmes: the application must reach the CAO or UKZN by 30 September 2026.
The same prospectus sets the CAO fee at R250 for applications made before 31 October 2026 and R470 from 1 November 2026, and says no walk-in applications will be taken in January 2027. After final results come out, UKZN identifies the learners who meet the scholarship criteria. There is nothing further to submit.
Learners the entrant awards exclude
UKZN attaches several limits to all of its Grade 12 awards:
- Anyone who has studied beyond Grade 12 before arriving at UKZN does not qualify.
- Learners who do not intend to start at UKZN within two years of their Senior Certificate date do not qualify.
- Students transferring from another higher education institution cannot receive an entrant award.
- A recipient can hold only one scholarship per academic year.
- Entrant awards cannot be carried forward into postgraduate study.
The prospectus marks these rules as “subject to annual review”, so the wording may change for later intakes.
College Financial Aid Advisors
UKZN’s Department of Student Funding sends scholarship questions to the Financial Aid Advisor in each College. The numbers below are from the 2027 prospectus:
- Agriculture, Engineering and Science: Howard College 031 260 7064/1502, Pietermaritzburg 033 260 5837/6145, Westville 031 260 7705/1488.
- Health Sciences: Howard College 031 260 3889, Medical Campus 031 260 4359, Westville 031 260 7889.
- Humanities: Howard College 031 260 3258/2110/2912, Pietermaritzburg 033 260 5758/6425, Edgewood 031 260 3757/3603.
- Law and Management Studies: Howard College 031 260 1106, Pietermaritzburg 033 260 5757, Westville 031 260 8044/7839.
These awards reward results rather than need, and they are fixed amounts, not full tuition. Learners who also need help with fees can check the NSFAS requirements and our undergraduate bursaries list. The UKZN provider profile covers the university’s other funding.
FAQs
Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.
Apply on the provider’s website
About UKZN
Public university
The University of KwaZulu-Natal came into being in 2004, when the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville merged. UKZN describes itself as building on more than a century of higher education in the province, and the…
Read the full UKZN profile →- Website
- ukzn.ac.za