Bursaries Closing Soon in South Africa: Applications Students Should Check

For students planning to study in 2027, September and early October are not months to ignore bursary applications. A number of funding opportunities are approaching their closing dates, and some require documents that can take time to prepare.

Missing a deadline can mean waiting another year for a particular opportunity. That is why students should not only search for bursaries that are already open, but also pay attention to opportunities that are about to close.

Several 2027 bursaries currently have deadlines between late September and early October, including opportunities from Volkswagen Group Africa, A2A Kopano, Absa BMI and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). Other opportunities are also listed as closing around the same period.

Here are some applications students should check before the deadlines pass.

Volkswagen Group Africa Bursary 2027

The Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) Bursary is one of the opportunities students should look at first because its current deadline is 28 September 2026 at 12:00 midday.

The programme is aimed at South African undergraduate students who will be studying full-time in their second, third or fourth year in 2027. The bursary supports selected fields connected to areas such as engineering, technology, business, finance and related disciplines.

The funding package can cover important study expenses, including tuition, accommodation, meals, books and a laptop. The programme can also include vacation work, mentoring and other academic support.

Applicants should pay close attention to the documentation requirements before starting the application. A certified South African ID, academic records, proof of registration and other supporting documents may be required.

Students should also understand that this is not simply funding with no further conditions. A work-back agreement forms part of the programme, meaning successful recipients have an employment commitment after completing their studies.

The deadline is close, so students interested in the VWGA opportunity should avoid leaving the application until the final hours.

A2A Kopano Bursary 2027

Accounting students have another opportunity to consider through A2A Kopano.

The A2A Kopano Bursary supports students following the Chartered Accountant route through a SAICA-accredited accounting qualification. According to current information, the bursary can contribute between R25,000 and R40,000 per student per year towards tuition and study-related costs.

The closing date for the 2027 intake is 30 September 2026.

There is an important point prospective applicants should understand about this opportunity. A2A Kopano is based in the Eastern Cape and the bursary is connected to the firm’s training environment. Preference is given to certain students, including those who have progressed beyond first year and those from the Eastern Cape.

Successful graduates are expected to complete their training contract with A2A Kopano for a period linked to the years of funding received.

Applicants should prepare their covering letter, certified identification, Matric certificate, academic transcript and CV before submitting their application.

For an accounting student who meets the requirements, this is more than assistance with university expenses. It can also provide a route into the professional training required on the CA(SA) journey.

Absa BMI Bursary 2027

Students interested in mathematics, data and business-related fields should also investigate the Absa BMI Bursary.

The programme is associated with North-West University’s Business, Mathematics and Informatics (BMI) programmes at the Potchefstroom and Vanderbijlpark campuses. Areas covered include disciplines such as actuarial science, business analytics or data science, financial mathematics and quantitative risk management.

Current 2027 listings give 30 September 2026 as the closing date.

This is not a general bursary for every university course. Students need to check that their programme, institution and academic circumstances match the requirements before applying.

Because opportunities in quantitative fields can have specific academic requirements, students should read the conditions carefully rather than assuming that simply studying a business or mathematics-related degree makes them eligible.

DFFE Bursary 2027

Another important opportunity comes from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).

The department has opened applications for its 2027 Full-Time Bursary Programme. The opportunity is particularly relevant to students interested in areas connected to the environment and natural resources.

The fields include areas such as forestry, biodiversity and conservation, oceans and coastal studies, climate and air quality, chemicals and waste management, environmental programmes and regulatory compliance.

The current DFFE announcement states that applications close on 2 October 2026 at 16:00. It also says that late, emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted.

That last detail matters. Students should not assume that sending an application after the deadline by another method will give them an extra opportunity.

DFFE has directed applicants to its bursary information page for the application form and requirements. Students should therefore check the department’s information directly before submitting anything.

Other bursaries closing around the same period

Students should not stop searching after checking the four opportunities above.

Current bursary listings also show several other 2027 opportunities with closing dates around the end of September. These include the Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Bursary, AMSOL Bursary, Sage Bursary, SAPOA Bursary, Amandla Omoya Trust Bursary and the Ernst & Ethel Eriksen Trust Bursary.

These opportunities are aimed at different groups.

For example, the Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr opportunity is relevant to law students, while AMSOL focuses on maritime-related qualifications. SAPOA supports fields connected to property and the built environment, and Amandla Omoya Trust supports eligible students from communities around the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm.

The Sage Bursary is another interesting option because its current programme covers selected accounting and technology-related fields and also has provisions for students with disabilities.

This illustrates why students should not search for only one broad term such as “bursaries”. A student looking for funding should also search according to their qualification, field of study, location and level of study.

Before submitting a bursary application

A closing date should not be the only thing students check.

First, confirm that you actually qualify. Look at the citizenship requirements, academic requirements, household income rules, field of study and institution requirements.

Second, prepare your documents early. Depending on the bursary, applicants may need identification documents, academic results, proof of registration, proof of income, a CV, motivational letter or other supporting information.

Third, check whether the bursary has a work-back requirement. Some private-sector funding programmes are connected to employment or training after graduation. That condition can affect your plans, so understand it before accepting an award.

Finally, use the provider’s official application instructions wherever possible. A third-party bursary listing can help you discover an opportunity, but the organisation offering the funding should be treated as the final authority for requirements, deadlines and application procedures.

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Don’t wait until the closing date

The deadlines coming up in late September and early October are a useful reminder that bursary applications should be treated like an important part of preparing for the 2027 academic year.

Students do not need to apply for every bursary they find. The better approach is to identify opportunities that genuinely match their studies and circumstances, then submit complete applications before the deadline.

For students currently searching for funding, the immediate dates worth putting on the calendar are 28 September for the VWGA Bursary, 30 September for opportunities such as A2A Kopano and Absa BMI, and 2 October for the DFFE Bursary.

Deadlines can change, and some programmes have specific submission times, so applicants should verify the latest information with the relevant provider before submitting an application.

The important thing is not to discover a suitable bursary after its application window has already closed.