THE 2025 NEDBANK EXTERNAL BURSARY PROGRAMME

Supporting academically deserving students with proven financial need to take their first steps toward achieving their dreams and obtain their first Undergraduate or Honours degree.Supporting academically deserving students with proven financial need to take their first steps toward achieving their dreams and obtain their first Undergraduate or Honours degree.

The 2024 Nedbank External Bursary Programme applications are currently closed.

The 2025 Nedbank External Bursary Programme applications will open later in the year

At Nedbank we believe in using our financial expertise to do good by helping young leaders to pursue their academic dreams.

The Nedbank External Bursary Programme (bursary) aims to fund academically deserving students who do not have the financial means to study fulltime towards a first Undergraduate or Honours qualification at a South African public University or University of Technology.

The aim of the bursary programme is to address South Africa's scarce-skills shortages, with a specific focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Green Economy skills.

Green economy promotes sustaining and advancing economic, environmental and social well-being. Green-economy skills refer to those areas of study that focus on improving human well-being and social equity, while also significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Green economy skills include the reducing of carbon emissions and pollution, increasing energy and materials efficiency and enhancing our natural capital.

Criteria for selection

1. We will only consider applications from South African citizens.

2. You must have a proven financial need, as determined by household income.

3. You must have obtained the following minimum academic results:

    3.1 An average of 65% in the year that you are applying for the bursary, ie in grade 12 or at university level.

    3.2 An average of 65% for the required subjects aligned to the degree you plan to study at university.

4. We will not consider applicants who completed their grade 12 or senior certificate with Mathematics Literacy.

5. You must have obtained admission to a South African public university or university of technology for the Undergraduate or Honours qualification you plan to study.

Supporting documents required for your application

1. A certified copy of your South African identity card or document.

2. Your most recent academic transcript, i.e.,

    2.1 Grade 11 final results, as well as your mid-year results if you are currently in Grade 12.

    2.2 Grade 12 final results as well as your mid-year results if you are currently in your first year at university.

    2.3 Your last academic year results as well as your current mid-year results if you are currently in your second or third year at university.

3. The financial check affidavit must be signed by:

    3.1 your parent(s) or guardian(s);

    3.2 you, the bursary applicant.

Download the affidavit here, complete it, make sure it is signed by all the parties above, and add it to your application.

The screening process

1. We will only consider bursary applications submitted online via the link we have provided.

2. Incomplete bursary applications will be disqualified.

3. Bursary applications will be screened and shortlisted according to the qualifying criteria listed as mentioned above.

Required supporting documents for applicants

Parents, legal guardians and all income-earning members of a shortlisted applicant's household must provide the following:

1. Written consent that they understand that personal information will be requested and given to third parties who will assist the Nedbank Educational Trust with verifying income (the Financial Checks Affidavit).

2. Completed income and expenditure statement for the applicant's combined household income.

3. Certified copies of the following documents in a single batch, within seven working days of the application:

    3.1 Identity document(s).

    3.2 Most recent payslip(s), letter(s) of employment, not older than three months, of each parent or guardian.

    3.3 Proof of income, home loan account statement, and city/town council rates and taxes statement (not older than three months), if parents or guardians are informal traders or       
           hawkers.

    3.4 IRP5, IT3 and IT12 forms for the past two years, if parents or guardians are earning commission only.

    3.5. An official pension slip or bank statement (not older than three months), if parents or guardians receive income in the form of pension/grant/maintenance/rent/interest from
           investments.

    3.6. Parents’/ guardians’ and applicant’s latest three months bank statements.

Shortlisted applicants will be required to undergo psychometric and other assessments and attend a virtual interview.

Bursaries will be awarded at the sole discretion of the Nedbank Educational Trust.

All applicants will receive feedback about the outcome of their applications when the recruitment process is completed.

For assistance, contact the Nedbank Bursary Team: Unlockyourambition@nedbank.co.za.

Applications are open until 31 August 2024.
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Application process


The application process is specifically designed to ensure that the right students are selected for this programme. Here are a few pointers on how we select our candidates:


  • We accept applications online via the relevant link provided. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
  • We screen bursary applications against the Nedbank external bursary selection criteria to shortlist applicants.


The parents and legal guardians of shortlisted applicants will be requested to do the following:


  • Provide written consent that they understand that personal information will be requested and given to third parties who will assist the trust with verifying income.
  • Complete an income and expenditure statement for the combined family income.
  • Provide certified copies of the following within seven working days, in a single batch:
    • Identity documents.
    • Certified or official copy of recent payslip, letter of employment, not older than three months, for each parent or guardian.
    • Proof of income, bond statement and council rates accounts (not older than three months) if parents or guardians are informal traders or hawkers.
    • IRP5, IT3 and IT12 (past two years) if parents and guardians are earning commission.
    • Copy of an official pension slip or bank statement if parent or guardian receives income such as pension / grant / maintenance / rental / interest from investment (not older than three months).
    • Copies of divorce certificates, where applicable.
    • Copies of death certificates, where applicable.

On completion of the document review process, shortlisted applicants will be requested to do the following:


  • Participate in psychometric and other assessments.
  • Attend an interview.

When screening process is completed, the applications of eligible students, together with their screening results, are presented to the Nedbank Education Trust for review. Bursaries are awarded at the sole discretion of the trust.


We will give feedback about applications to all applicants when the process is completed.

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