Absa Historical Debt Relief South Africa 2025

 

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME PROVIDER – ABSA

Absa Group Limited is a financial services group located in South Africa and listed on the JSE. The Group is a major stakeholder and owner of banks in South Africa, as well as in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. They are also located in Namibia, Nigeria, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Group is one of the biggest diversified financial services groups on the African continent and they offer clients the following services: personal banking, business banking, corporate banking, investment banking, credit cards, bancassurance, wealth and investment management.
 

ABOUT THE ABSA DEBT RELIEF PROGRAMME – FIELDS COVERED

Absa is inviting graduates to apply for their 2025 Absa CSI Trust Graduate Historical Debt Relief Intervention.

Students who have completed their studies towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degree qualifications and in fields that are aligned to the Digital Economy and the Green Economy, but who cannot graduate due to outstanding fees, may apply.

The programme funds students who studied at these selected universities: University of Limpopo, University of Venda, Tshwane University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, University of Zululand.
 

** RELATED BURSARIES **

 

MORE ABOUT THE ABSA DEBT RELIEF PROGRAMME

The Absa CSI Trust Graduate Historical Debt Relief Programme was created to address the growing challenge of graduates burdened by unpaid historical student debt, that prevents them from receiving their qualifications and entering the job market.

Through this initiative, the Absa CSI Trust provides funding to clear outstanding student debt for graduates from selected higher education institutions who have successfully completed their studies but are unable to obtain their certificates due to unpaid fees. By removing this financial barrier, Absa helps graduates unlock new opportunities to participate fully in South Africa’s economy.

In addition to debt relief, the Absa CSI Trust also supports these graduates in their transition to employment by partnering with the Youth Employment Service (YES). This collaboration connects graduates to real work opportunities, helping them gain experience and establish sustainable careers.

To ensure the smooth rollout of the programme, the Feenix Trust has been appointed to manage and facilitate the debt clearance process on behalf of the Absa CSI Trust.

www.zabursaries.co.za is committed to keeping you up to date with the latest bursary opportunities, and this article covers all details about the Absa Debt Reflief Programme.
 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ABSA DEBT RELIEF PROGRAMME

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):

  • You must be a South African citizen
  • You must have completed your studies towards a degree in a STEM field or a field that is aligned to the Digital Economy and the Green Economy (you must NOT be currently studying)
  • You must have studied at one of the following public university in South Africa: University of Limpopo, University of Venda, Tshwane University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, University of Zululand
  • You must have been unable to graduated due to historical debt/ outstanding study fees
  • You must be currently unemployed and not enrolled for studies
  • You must have a total household income of LESS than R700 000 per annum

 

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE ABSA DEBT RELIEF PROGRAMME

Applications must be submitted online at: Absa Debt Relief Programme Application

Enter “www.zabursaries.co.za” in the field asking how you heard about the programme.
 

Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your completed application form (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):

  • ID document (certified copy – not older than 6 months)
  • Letter of completion/Proof of registration (with official university letterhead or stamp)
  • Completed EEA1 Form (.pdf) (note: fill in your full name under the “Name of Employee” and fill in your student number from your university under the “Employee workplace number”)

 

CLOSING DATE FOR THE ABSA DEBT RELIEF PROGRAMME

1 December 2025.
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)
 

CONTACT THE DEBT RELIEF PROGRAMME PROVIDER

For any queries related to this programme, please contact Feenix (the administrators for this programme) directly:
Contact page: https://bursaries.feenix.org/fref/contact-2/
 

Please do NOT contact Absa if this programme has already closed. View our other bursaries open for application here: https://www.zabursaries.co.za/bursary-news/

This bursary listing was last updated in November 2025.

SA Bursaries wishes you the best of luck with your application! Please remember to SHARE this page with anyone you know who may be in need of bursary funding.