APPLICATION FOR UCT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SOUTH AFRICAN AND

PERMANENT RESIDENT STUDENTS REGISTERING FOR MASTERS AND

DOCTORAL DEGREES, FIRST YEAR OF REGISTRATION 2019.
(VIA POSTGRADUATE FUNDING FORM 10A)
UCT is working towards aligning its policy governing the funding of Master's and Doctoral students with
the UCT Undergraduate Financial Assistance policy. In line with the UCT transformation agenda, priority will
be given to funding Black South African and permanent resident applicants who qualify for financial need.
In the current context Black includes African, Coloured and Indian students. Financial need refers to
students who qualify for either Financial Aid or GAP funding bursaries. Applicants can apply for either
financial assistance or a merit award via the Postgraduate funding form 10A* http://
www.students.uct.ac.za/students/fees-funding/postgraduate-degree- funding/bursaries-scholarships/merit-need-awards

Applicants who intend registering toward a Master's and Doctoral qualification at UCT are eligible to apply for
financial support, which includes both financial need and merit bursaries. The budget may however be limited, and it
remains important for prospective students to try to source other awards, such as departmental, internal and external
scholarships.

For details on these bursaries, see http://www.students.uct.ac.za/students/fees-funding/postgraduate-degree-funding/

noticeboard

All Master's and Doctoral applicants who apply for financial need based or merit awards are required to have
applied for an NRF bursary.

Eligibility and conditions of financial need or merit Master's & Doctoral award
 Eligible applicants are funded for two years Masters (first and second year only) and three years Doctoral (first,
second and third year only), and must be full-time students.
 Applicants must apply for a full-time Master's and Doctoral programme in the relevant department/faculty.
 Only applicants who have applied for an academic place via the UCT’s Admissions Office will be considered for
funding.
 UCT merit awards cannot be held concurrently with the NRF award for Master's applicants.

Financial need eligibility criteria

 UCT will determine an applicant’s financial need by applying the National Means Test (NMT) used by the
National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the criteria used by UCT to determine eligibility for GAP
funding.
 Information provided on form 10A will be used to assess the relative means. The output of the UCT means
test will determine the applicant’s eligibility for a financial need bursary and level of support.
 Applicants will be defined as either A) financial aid eligible with an expected family contribution (EFC) or B)
eligible for GAP funding or C) not eligible for needs-based financial support (but may be considered for a merit
bursary).

Value of financial need bursaries

 The value of the financial need bursary will be calculated on “assessed need” for the cost of attendance in
2019, and will take into consideration other scholarships awarded to students.
 Depending on budget availability, students who are eligible for financial aid may be funded for their
“assessed need”, which is the approved cost of study (including tuition, and applicable accommodation and
food allowances) less the EFC. Priority will be given to students who have a minimum GPA score of 60%
for their Honours degree.
 Students who do not meet the UCT financial aid need based criteria but meet the criteria for GAP funding
according to family gross income bands, will be eligible for a percentage bursary of their total approved
course tuition fees.

UCT Master's and Doctoral merit bursaries

Applicants may apply for UCT merit bursaries. Applicants must have obtained a grade point average of
> than 60% in their final year of study for their Honours qualification to be eligible for a UCT merit bursary.
Postgraduate funding Form 10A is also used for these applications.
Conditions of awards

The successful candidate will be required to:

 Give evidence of satisfactory progress (mid-year and on completion). The Postgraduate Funding Office
(PGFO) ascertains satisfactory progress through direct communication with the Programme Convenors and
individual student’s supervisors.
 All awards made via the PGFO are done so by means of a claim form, which requires an undertaking from the
student that they agree to comply with the conditions of award.
 Students must undertake to comply with the University’s approved policies, procedures and practices on
postgraduate funding, including repayment of the value of the award if satisfactory academic progress is not
made, or if the student fails to complete the degree or de-registers from the course of study.
 Master's funding is limited to two years (first and second year of Masters) and Doctoral is limited to three years
(first, second and third year of Doctoral) only.
 Students will not be eligible for funding support if they are employed in excess of 20 hours per week.(Note – if
you hold NRF funding concurrently the requirement is for not more than 12 hours of work per week).

Application Instructions
 Candidates for the Master's and Doctoral degree can apply to the UCT PGFO for either financial need or
merit based funding.
 Applicants are required to download and complete the form 10A from:
http://www.students.uct.ac.za/students/fees-funding/postgraduate-degree- funding/bursaries-scholarships/
merit-need-awards
 Applicants who apply for financial need must complete the application checklist and provide all
supporting documentation for assessment.
 Students who have previously been supported by NSFAS/UCT as undergraduates or full Financial Aid at
Honours, need to complete form 10A to apply for funding for their Masters or Doctoral degree.

Original copies of applications and all supporting documentation must be submitted to Ms Celeste Jansen or Mrs
Shanaaz Kalam, Postgraduate Centre & Funding Office, UCT, by 15 November 2018
Enquiries: 021 650 2141/1917. Email enquiries: generalfunding@uct.ac.za
The University reserves the right to cancel, withdraw and recover any funds paid to the award-holder if she/he does not comply with the
Conditions of Award.