University of Witwatersrand Scholarships for International Students

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The University of Witwatersrand, otherwise known as Wits University, is a public research university that can be found in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the third oldest South African university. It is a highly prestigious university, and admission into this university is challenging but worth it. Students will have access to 11 state-of-the-art libraries, along with academic and recreational facilities.

It is an excellent option for students that don’t mind living on campus. In fact, more than 20% of the student population lives on campus. Besides this, the University of Witwatersrand offers plenty of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for international students. The student population is also widely diverse, meaning there is no one left behind.

University of the Witwatersrand Scholarships

Undergraduate Scholarships at University of the Witwatersrand

1. University Entrance Scholarship

  • Scholarship Amount: R10,000 up to R42,000
  • Eligibility Criteria: Open to all nationals. Interested applicants must take the NSC Examinations. The student must have also received and accepted an offer of admission from the University of Witwatersrand.
  • Scholarship Link

This University of Witwatersrand scholarship awarded to applicants will depend on the applicant’s NSC admission point score. Students with an International Baccalaureate or Cambridge A and AS-Level qualifications may receive additional grants according to the grades achieved.

If the applicant had undergone a gap year prior to application, they must provide a reason for why they took a gap year and proof of what they were able to accomplish during their gap year. These extra documents must be submitted through the university’s Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.

This scholarship may not be awarded alongside the Vice-Chancellor Scholarship or the VC Equality Scholarship.

2. Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship

  • Scholarship Amount: R50,000
  • Eligibility Criteria: Open to South African nationals only. Only those part of the top ten matriculates will be considered.
  • Scholarship Link

This scholarship is initially only awarded for one year. If the student is able to keep performing at a high academic level, the scholarship may be renewed. This scholarship may not be awarded alongside any other scholarship.

The eligible applicants will be chosen based on the matric results from South Africa’s Department of Education. No other remarks will be considered.

There will be no separate application for this University of Witwatersrand scholarship. This scholarship will immediately be awarded upon registration of eligible applicants in the University of Witwatersrand.

3. VC Equality Scholarship

  • Scholarship Amount: R110,000 per year
  • Eligibility Criteria: Open to South African citizens only. Eligible applicants must have received an offer of admission from the university. They must accept and register only for the program offered to them.
  • Scholarship Link

Applicants will be shortlisted immediately upon registration on the basis of the student’s NSC examination results and data received from the Department of Basic Education. Other remarks will not be considered.

Applicants will be held to a very high academic standard, and only those at the top will be offered this scholarship.

There is no separate application form for this scholarship. It will automatically be awarded upon the student’s confirmation of enrolment. This scholarship is also not allowed to be awarded alongside the Vice-Chancellor Scholarship or the Entrance Scholarship.

The University of Witwatersrand features many more scholarships, with a majority of them being only available to South African or African citizens only. Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for financial aid such as bursaries and loans from the university itself, but they are welcome to seek out external assistance. For more information on the scholarships available at the University of Witswatersrand, please check out their Scholarships and Bursaries Page.

Postgraduate Scholarships at University of the Witwatersrand

1. University Postgraduate Merit Award (PMA)

  • Scholarship Amount: Up to R56,000
  • Eligibility Criteria: Open to all nationals. Both full-time and part-time students will be considered eligible. Interested applicants must meet the minimum grade requirements first before being sent a provisional offer. Only students that have received and accepted offered firm admission into the University of Witswatersrand will be eligible.
  • Degree Offered: Master’s and Doctoral
  • Scholarship Link

This scholarship will be awarded for a maximum of 2 years for Master’s students and 3 years for Doctoral students.

The selection process is automated, and eligible applicants will automatically be contacted upon registration to inform them of their eligibility. If the applicant is not automatically offered this scholarship, they will not be allowed to appeal for it.

Students will be required to complete their academic departmental duties upon being granted this award. Failure to comply will result in the termination of the scholarship.

2. NRF Postgraduate Scholarships

  • Scholarship Amount: Partial to Full tuition fees
  • Eligibility Criteria: Open to all nationals. To be considered eligible, the applicant must have already received and accepted admission into the university. They must also be below 30 years of age for Master’s students and below 32 years of age for Doctoral students. They must also meet the minimum grade requirement of 65%.
  • Degree Offered: Master’s and Doctoral
  • Scholarship Link

All applications must be only submitted online through the NRF Online Submission System. Applications submitted through other means will not be considered.

Interested applicants must contact the Masters and Doctoral grant officer for more information on the application deadlines.

This scholarship available at the University of Witwatersrand may either be a Full Cost Study (FCS) or a Partial Cost of Study (PCS). FCS funding will only be awarded to students who are able to provide proof of financial need. It will also only be awarded to South African citizens or permanent residents of South Africa.

3. Mandela Rhodes Scholarship

  • Scholarship Amount: Full tuition fees
  • Eligibility Criteria: Open to citizens of African countries only. The applicant must already be a student enrolled under a Master’s degree at the University of Witwatersrand. They must also be younger than 29 years of age and possess an impressive academic record.
  • Degree Offered: Master’s
  • Scholarship Link

This University of Witwatersrand scholarship will only be awarded for a maximum of two years. Awarded applicants will also be required to participate in the residential and regional leadership programs. Failure to comply will result in the termination of the scholarship.

All applications must be completed online, and all required documents must be submitted before April 20th.

 

I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Scholarships Page.