FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Honours Bursary South Africa 2027

WHAT FIELDS OF STUDY DOES THE FIRSTRAND EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION BURSARY COVER?

The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (FREF) is inviting students to apply for their Bursary Programme, for the 2027 academic year.

Bursaries will be awarded for studies towards a first Honours degree, in STEM and Psychology fields, including the following fields:

  • Actuarial Science
  • Agricultural Sciences
  • BA Honours Arts (Psychology)
  • Biosciences
  • Climate Sciences
  • Computer Science
  • Data Science
  • Electronics
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Indigenous Knowledge Systems
  • Information Management
  • Information Science
  • Information Systems
  • Information Technology
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Renewable Energy
  • Risk
  • Sciences
  • Statistics

(Read about the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Undergraduate Bursary here).

** RELATED BURSARIES **

WHAT EXPENSES DOES THE FREF BURSARY COVER?

The bursary may provide cover for the following expenses: tuition fees, accommodation (up to a threshold of R65,000), monthly travelling stipends, and food and airtime vouchers.

Students may also receive additional student support and development services.

WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE FREF BURSARY?

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the first week of January 2027. If you do not receive any feedback by this date, please consider your application unsuccessful

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 FREF Honours Bursary.

WHAT IS THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE FIRSTRAND EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION BURSARY?

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 be Black, in accordance with the B-BBEE Act (African, Coloured or Indian (ACI))
  • You must be between 18 and 35 years old on 31 December 2027
  • You must have completed Matric
  • You must have achieved a minimum result of 60% for NSC Mathematics (NOT Mathematical Literacy)
  • You must have achieved a minimum average of 60% in your undergraduate degree
  • You must be entering your first full-time 1-year Honours degree in 2027, in one of the fields of study listed above, with a minimum NQF Level 8
  • You must study at a recognised and accredited public university in South Africa
  • You must meet the admission requirements for your qualification
  • You must have a combined household income NOT more than R700 000 per annum

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR THE FIRSTRAND EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION BURSARY?

Applications must be submitted online at: FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Postgraduate Bursary Application 2027

Enter “www.zabursaries.co.za” in the field asking how you heard about the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation bursary.

WHAT DOCUMENTS MUST I SUBMIT FOR THE FIRSTRAND EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION BURSARY?

Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your application (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)
  • Matric certificate (certified copy)
  • Complete undergraduate academic record (certified copy)
  • Provisional or final honours acceptance letter, if available
  • Proof of parents or guardians household income (latest payslips if employed/ affidavit if unemployed/ affidavit stating annual income if self-employed/ most recent audited financial statement or 3 months’ most recent bank statements if they own a business/ SASSA letter stating the grants received if applicable)
  • ID numbers of applicant and all household members
  • If disabled: a completed EEA1 form (.pdf) and a valid Doctors note

Note: supporting documents must be submitted in PDF format and must not be larger than 5MB.

WHEN IS THE CLOSING DATE FOR THE FIRSTRAND EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION BURSARY?

31 December 2026.

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

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER?

For any queries related to these bursary programmes, please contact Feenix (the administrators for this bursary) directly:
Tel: 063 968 7544
Email: support@bursaries.feenix.org
Contact page: https://bursaries.feenix.org/fref/contact-2/

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

WHAT DOES THE FIRSTRAND EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION DO?

The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Bursary is part of FirstRand’s commitment to supporting talented South African students who may face financial barriers to accessing higher education. Through its investment in education and skills development, the Foundation aims to help young people pursue their studies while developing the knowledge and capabilities needed to contribute meaningfully to the South African economy.

The bursary provides financial support to qualifying students who demonstrate strong academic potential and meet the programme’s specific requirements. Depending on the bursary offering, funding may assist with key study-related expenses, helping students focus on completing their qualifications without the full burden of university costs.

For students considering applying, it is important to carefully review the eligibility criteria, fields of study, participating institutions and application requirements before submitting an application. This article provides an overview of the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Bursary, including who can apply, what the bursary covers and how to submit an application.

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This bursary listing was last updated in September 2026.

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.