Stellenbosch University Postgraduate Scholarship Programme

• Honours: R70 000 to R140 000 for one registered year.
• Master's: R75 000 to R150 000 a year for up to two registered years.
• Doctoral: R80 000 to R170 000 a year for up to three registered years.
• A Master's student upgraded to a PhD is funded for one additional year at PhD level, for a combined maximum of four funded years across both degrees.
• Funding is released in tranches: continuation of the second tranche and of funding in later years depends on satisfactory June and November progress reports from student and supervisor.
• Recipients of a full-cost scholarship may not receive top-up funding from other sources; recipients of a partial scholarship may be topped up only up to the full-cost value for their faculty and degree level.
• Award values vary by faculty and depend on the availability of funding in a given year.

The 2027 Postgraduate Scholarship Programme opens on 10 August 2026 and closes on 30 September 2026. Applicants who do not hear back within three months of the closing date should consider their application unsuccessful.

1. Visit the Prospective Postgraduate Student pages to review postgraduate programme options and minimum entry requirements.
2. Apply for admission to the relevant postgraduate programme and note which faculty it falls under.
3. Locate that faculty's PSP criteria and requirements in the current call for applications document.
4. Submit the PSP application via the faculty-specific application link listed in the call document, by 30 September 2026, combining all required documents into a single PDF.

Postgraduate Funding Office

• Certified copy of ID document, or passport for international students.
• Certified copies of the complete academic record and degree certificates (certified if completed at an institution other than SU).
• An extract from a previous thesis, mini-thesis/research essay, or other academic writing sample.
• For Master's and Doctoral applicants: a short pre-proposal or preliminary research idea (length varies by faculty, typically about 500 words to one page).
• A letter of support or recommendation from a prospective supervisor.
• A concise academic CV covering research publications, awards or grants received, professional/work experience, and (for some faculties) languages and other relevant skills.
• Proof of NSFAS or ISFAP funding during the undergraduate degree, if applicable.

Each faculty sets and applies its own criteria to shortlist and select PSP recipients, assessing prior academic results (commonly a 65% threshold), the research proposal or writing sample, and the supervisor's letter of support, alongside admission to the relevant degree programme. Awards are discretionary: meeting the stated criteria does not guarantee a scholarship, and the University may request further information before deciding. Continued funding in later years is conditional on satisfactory progress reports submitted each June and November.