SEA Bursary Fund and Reduced Fee Options (BAS)

• Standard BAS tuition for 2026 (projected, with annual inflation-linked increases): R125,000 per year, which includes a R30,000 non-refundable deposit.
• Instead of the deposit, a student can make a R30,000 tax-deductible donation (Section 18A certificate) to the SEA bursary fund.
• Reduced fee: R95,000 per year, with no deposit or donation, payable in full or in monthly instalments.
• Academic fee bursary: amount set by SEA's Directors on review of the student's financial documents; may include a monthly stipend from a supporting architectural practice for well-performing students from designated groups.
• SEA pledges to return 25% of the bursary-fund donations it receives each year to registered students, once its own bills are paid, as a rebate towards the next year's tuition.
• A payment plan (instead of paying the balance upfront) adds R10,000 to the total fee.

For 2026 study: at least R30,000 of the R125,000 annual fee (the deposit or bursary-fund donation) is due by 31 December 2025 to secure a place, with the balance of R95,000 due by 1 February 2026, or in five monthly instalments of R21,000 from March to July, or, for the reduced fee, twelve monthly instalments of R8,750 from January to December. There is no separate deadline for the bursary or reduced-fee application itself; the option is chosen, with supporting income documents, when accepting the offer.

1. Apply for the BAS through SEA's online admissions process at sea.ac.za/web/admissions: pay the application fee, complete the online application form, submit a portfolio or creative task, send transcripts/certificates, and sign the declaration form.
2. On receiving an offer, sign the acceptance letter (Addendum A in the handbook) and choose a fee option: full fee with deposit, full fee with a bursary-fund donation, the reduced fee, or an academic fee bursary.
3. Return the signed acceptance letter to [email protected].
4. For the reduced fee or bursary, attach certified copies of parents'/guardians' SARS tax returns or bank statements, together with a signed affidavit of combined income sworn at a South African Police Service station.

• Signed acceptance letter indicating the chosen fee/bursary option.
• Copies of parents'/guardians' SARS tax returns or bank statements.
• A signed affidavit confirming combined parental/guardian income, sworn at a South African Police Service station.

A reduced fee or bursary is not automatic on acceptance: it must be applied for separately with proof of income, and is granted at the sole discretion of SEA's Directors after reviewing the financial documents submitted. SEA also has regard to B-BBEE transformation requirements in allocating bursaries, and funds available for bursaries vary from year to year.