The PGS provides funding to students in need of financial aid. Our focus is mainly on UFS Honours, Research Master's, and Research PHD students, as well as NRF bursaries. The funding office also informs and updates postgraduate students of available national and international bursaries and scholarship opportunities. Our funding consultants are available to assist with UFS and NRF funding enquiries.
For funding enquiries, please contact:
Kgalalelo Motlhabane
T: +27 51 401 9635
E: motlhabanegk@ufs.ac.za
Prince Khoza
T: +27 51 401 2045
E: KhozaPN@ufs.ac.za
NRF Postgraduate Scholarships 2021
The DSI and NRF are pleased to announce a call of new applications for NRF Postgraduate Student Funding for the 2021 Academic year. All continuing students who are eligible for a second or third year of funding must submit a Progress Report and not a new application.
The NRF minimum academic requirement for postgraduate funding is 65%. Applicants for honours, masters and doctoral funding must be 28, 30, and 32 years of age or younger respectively in the year of application. Successful applicants will be funded either at Full Cost Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS). The FCS funding will be awarded to South African citizens and permanent residents only, who are either financially needy (i.e. those whose combined household family income is less or equal to R350 000 per annum), living with a disability or exceptional academic achievers. However, the PCS funding will be awarded to 5% of international students including South African citizens and permanent residents who could not be funded under FCS but meet other minimum requirements for the NRF scholarship funding criteria.
Scholarships are intended to support honours, masters, and doctoral candidates to pursue studies in all areas of Science, Engineering, Technology, Social Sciences, and Humanities.
As from the 2021 funding year, all the postgraduate students will be expected to apply on the NRF Online Submission System by clicking here, no manual applications will be accepted.
Below are University of the Free State internal cut-off dates for applications. NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED
| Funding Opportunity | Funding Year | UFS internal closing date |
| Honours Scholarships | 2021 | Friday, 23 October 2020 and 31 July 2020 for financially needy students who require a financial means test to be eligible for a full cost study |
For inquiries, applicants can contact the Postgraduate School at
Ms Motlhabane:
T: +27 51 401 9635
E: MotlhabaneGK@ufs.ac.za
Mr Khoza:
T: +27 51 401 2045
E: KhozaPN@ufs.ac.za
Other Funding opportunities
Are you planning to further your studies? below is a list of funding opportunities that might just be right for you!
| Name | Funding level | Closing date | Contact details | For more information |
| Margaret McNamara Educational Grants | Honours, Master's and Doctoral | 14 September 2020 | Email: southafrica@mmeg.org | Click here to visit website |
| The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Science | Doctoral degree | 25 September 2020 | Tel: (011) 480 2338 / 2328 E-mail: scholarships@nihss.ac.za | Click here to visit website |
| Oil and Protein Seeds Development Trust | Master's and Doctoral | 25 September 2020 | Tel: (011) 234 3400 / 234 3401 E-mail: oliesade@opot.co.za | Click here to visit website |
| Protein Research Foundation | Master's and Doctoral | 25 September 2020 | Tel: +27 11 803 1894/2579 E-mail: maria@proteinresearch.net | Click here to visit website |
| Ernst & Ethel Eriksen Trust 2021 | Master's and Doctoral | 30 September 2020 | E-mail: eeetrust@eject.co.za | Click here to visit website |
| Southern African Development Community Groundwater Management Institute | Master's and Doctoral | 15 October 2020 | E-mail: litlhare@sadc-gmi.org | Click here to visit website |
| Chevening Scholarship | Master’s degree | 03 November 2020 | www.chevening.org/scholarship/south-africa/ | Click here to visit website |
| HCI Foundation | Honours degree | 30 November 2020 | Tel: +27 (0)21 424 6010 E-mail: bp@hcifoundation.co.za | Click here to visit website |
| Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship | Master’s degree | Various dates apply | E-mail: info-qecs@acu.ac.uk | Click here to visit website |
| Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2021 | Master's and Doctoral | Various dates apply | E-mail: info@gatescambridge.org | Click here to visit website |
| ESASTAP 2020 | Research Funding | Various dates apply | www.esastap.org.za/ | Click here to visit website |
| Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship | Honours, Master's & Doctoral | Various dates apply | www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/en/home/education/scholarships-and-grants/swiss-government-excellence-scholarships.html | Click here to visit website |
| Wellcome Trust | Grant funding | Various dates apply | www.wellcome.ac.uk/grant-funding | Click here to visit website |