All applicants will receive an application ID. This is a unique ID number that youmust use to manage your application before you register as a student. Track your application status on the applicant portal or on www.maties.com > Apply > Applicant portal.

All applicants will also be issued with a student number. Use this to access Stellenbosch University’s other platforms while still a prospective student. Also, once you have received an offer, use your student number to apply for bursaries or track your residence application.

In other words, your student number does NOT replace your application ID. Your student number also does NOT guarantee your admission to a programme or your eligibility to register. Please include both your application ID and student number in all your communication with the Centre for Student Administration and the Client Services Centre.

The policy standard applies to:

The applicant portal allows you to submit and track your application and see your admission status.

The student portal is what you will use once you have registered as a student with Stellenbosch University as well as to monitor your residence application and apply for financial aid (SU funding) while still a prospective student.

Use your student number to get access to the student portal on my.sun, where you can apply for bursaries and check on the status of your residence application. Please note that you will only be able to apply for a bursary after you have received an offer from the University.

SU funding applications re-open 16 – 31 October* 2023 only.

*Late admissions will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

All study applicants who are South African citizens and who received a conditional or final offer from Stellenbosch Unversity may apply.

Since the University’s financial resources are limited, bursaries are allocated based on financial need (household financial circumstances) and academic merit (the applicant’s potential to study successfully).

We offer a range of bursaries. For the particulars, consult the 2024 Bursary Yearbook and the Types of funding tab on the webpage of the Centre for Undergraduate Bursaries and Loans (CUBL).

You will need to provide various supporting documents for an application for funding from Stellenbosch University. For a summary of the supporting documents you will need to submit depending on your personal, family and financial circumstances, please see the table below.

All documents submitted as proof of income will be verified by a third party.

As a prospective student, once you have accepted your conditional or final offer, you will receive an email from the Centre for Undergraduate Bursaries and Loans (CUBL) that will include details on how to apply for SU funding.

All applications will be considered after the closing date. Applicants for Stellenbosch University’s own bursaries will be notified of the outcome by end-February. The outcome dates for bursaries made available by SU external donors may vary, however, the majority will be allocated by end-May.

NSFAS funds first-time entering (FTEN) students at public universities.

All applicants from a home with a gross household income (HHI; total income before tax and deductions) below R350 000 per year (R29 167 per month) may be considered for a bursary from NSFAS; for a student living with a disability, the HHI must be below R600 000 per year (R50 000 per month). You may submit your NSFAS application at www.nsfas.org.za. We recommend that you visit the official NSFAS website regularly for updates.

Stellenbosch University does not manage the application or selection process for NSFAS. We only help administer bursary disbursements to successful applicants as instructed by government.

All prospective students who apply for NSFAS funding must also apply to SU Funding Opportunities. The student is then registered on the CUBL database, which ensures you are considered for gap funding (costs not covered by NSFAS allowances) from the University. Gap funding includes top-up, shortfall, emergency, and/or graduate debt funding and it aims to bridge the financial gaps not covered by NSFAS. IMPORTANT NOTE The University has limited funds available. An application for funding is not a guarantee that funding will be granted.

You’re welcome to contact our Client Services Centre on 021 808 9111 or email info@sun.ac.za. If you are emailing, remember to include your student number in the subject line, for example, # / 2024 SU funding query.