Free State Office of the Premier: Bursaries 2026

The Free State Office of the Premier is inviting students to apply for their bursary programme, for the 2026 academic year. Through their bursary programme, the Free State Provincial Government is committed to improving the capacity of the workforce in order to meet the need for scarce and critical skills that will contribute to the economy both provincially and nationally.

Bursaries will be awarded to students residing within the Free State province, for studies within the following fields:

• Bachelor of Community Development
• Bachelor / Post Graduate Diploma / Honours of Accounting
• Bachelor Dietetics
• Bachelor Physiotherapy
• Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
• Bachelor of Radiography
• Bachelor of Pharmacy
• Bachelor of Nursing
• Bachelor of Data Science / Data Analytics / Financial Analytics / Investment Management / Business Analytics
• Bachelor in Radiography / Radiation Therapy
• Bachelor of Nuclear Medicine
• Bachelor of Social Work
• Bachelor of Human Resource Management and Psychology / Human Resource Analytics
• Bachelor of Economics / Econometrics / Developmental Studies
• Bachelor of Education (Accounting / Natural Sciences / Mathematics / Early Childhood Development)
• Bachelor of Construction Management / Quantity Survey/ Construction Project Management
• Bachelor of Risk Management / Fraud Investigation (Forensic Auditor) / Internal Auditing
• Bachelor in Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics
• Bachelor / Honours of Actuarial Science
• Bachelor / Honours of Psychology
• Diploma / Bachelor in Emergency Medical Care
• Diploma / Bachelor of Supply Chain Management / Finance
• Diploma / Bachelor of Engineering (Civil/ Mechanical/ Chemical/ Electrical/ Mining/ Nuclear/ Architectural/ Aerospace/ Mechatronics/ Structural / Quantity Surveyor/ Agricultural)
• Diploma / Bachelor of Disaster Management
• Diploma / Bachelor of Town & Regional Planner / Property Valuation / Land & Property Administrator / GIS Professional / Occupational Health & Safety / Build Environment
• Diploma / Bachelor of Publicity & Marketing / General Arts Management or Fine Arts / Social Studies
• Diploma / Bachelor of Agriculture/ Veterinary Science / Soil Science / Pasteur Science
• Diploma / Bachelor of Information Technology (Cyber Security / Information Security / Software or Network Systems/ Techniques of Artificial Intelligence / Information Resource Management / Robotics)
• Diploma / Advanced Diploma in Somatology
• Masters in Clinical Psychology
• MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Psychometry

The bursary will provide cover for the following expenses:

• Registration fee per semester/year,
• Registered modules per year,
• Residence and meal fees,
• Books and/or study materials.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying:

• You must be a South African citizen
• You must reside within the Free State province
• You must be between 18 and 35 years old
• You must be currently in Matric or have completed Matric
• You must have a household income of LESS than R600 000 per annum
• You must NOT be receiving any other bursary awards or another sponsorship
• You must be studying or intend on studying full-time towards a qualification within one of the fields of study listed above
• You must be accepted to study at a recognised and accredited Higher Education Institution (HEI) in South Africa
• Preference will be given to financially needy students with a strong academic record
• Students with disabilities are encouraged to apply