UFS Matriculant of the Year Bursary Competition

Who can apply

• 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 currently in Matric in 2026
• You must be a top-achieving student
• You must intend on studying full-time at the University of the Free State in 2027
• You must have received excellent results/ shown great potential in one of these sectors: academics/ sports/ culture/ leadership
• You may be attending a Quintiles 1 to 5 school (Quintile 1 represents the poorest schools and Quintile 5 represents the least poor schools in South Africa), private school or be home-schooled
• You must read and agree to the terms and conditions (on the application form below)

How to apply

Applications are submitted directly to UFS Matriculant Year Competition - we do not collect applications. Read the eligibility criteria, prepare your supporting documents, then complete your application on the official page.

Full details

UFS Matriculant of the Year Bursary Competition South Africa 2027

WHAT FIELDS OF STUDY DOES THE UFS BURSARY COMPETITION COVER?

The University of the Free State (UFS), in collaboration with Novus Media, is inviting students to apply for the Matriculant of the Year competition, for the 2027 academic year.

Students who are currently in their Matric year, who excel in academics, sport, culture or leadership, and would like to study at the University of the Free State in 2027 can apply.

The prestigious competition has been around for over 40 years and allows top-achieving Matriculants a chance to win bursaries, prizes and other fantastic opportunities.

WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE UFS BURSARY COMPETITION?

The selection process will include the following steps:

• The judges will select 25 semi-finalists who will then be assessed on a points scale, based on the application form information.
• The judges will select 14 finalists who will be interviewed by a panel of judges, in the month of October 2026.
• The finalist will then be selected based on the best personal achievement and most spirited personality - the Matriculant of the Year will be announced at a prestigious gala dinner.

WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE BURSARY COMPETITION?

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 currently in Matric in 2026
• You must be a top-achieving student
• You must intend on studying full-time at the University of the Free State in 2027
• You must have received excellent results/ shown great potential in one of these sectors: academics/ sports/ culture/ leadership
• You may be attending a Quintiles 1 to 5 school (Quintile 1 represents the poorest schools and Quintile 5 represents the least poor schools in South Africa), private school or be home-schooled
• You must read and agree to the terms and conditions (on the application form below)

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR THE BURSARY COMPETITION?

Download and complete the Matriculant of the Year Bursary Competition Entry Form 2027 (.pdf)

Enter “www.zabursaries.co.za” in the field asking how you heard about the UFS Matriculant of the Year Competition.

Applications must be submitted in either of the following ways:

• Email: greylinl@ufs.ac.za (Insert the words “Attention: Linda Greyling - Matriculant of the Year Bursary Competition” in the email subject line).
• Hand delivery: UFS Student Recruitment, Wekkie Saayman Building, c/o Rector and Granduandi Avenue, UFS Campus, Bloemfontein (Attention: Linda Greyling)

WHAT DOCUMENTS MUST I SUBMIT FOR THE BURSARY COMPETITION?

Submit 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):

• Photograph of the applicants face in school uniform (post card size)
• Grade 11 final results (certified copy)
• Matric March and June exam results (certified copy)

Note: the application form must be signed by your school principal and must have the school stamp.

WHEN IS THE CLOSING DATE FOR THE BURSARY COMPETITION?

1 August 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 COMPETITION PROVIDER?

For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact the UFS directly:

• Contact person: Linda Greyling
• Email: greylinl@ufs.ac.za
• Tel: 051 401 3384

WHAT DOES UFS DO?

The University of the Free State (UFS) was founded in 1904 as “Grey College School” with only 6 students, in 1950 it changed its name to the “University of the Orange Free State” and finally it named to the “University of the Free State” in 2001. Today UFS is a well-known institution with ever-expanding facilities and the following Faculties: Business School; Economic and Management Sciences; Law; The Humanities; Education; Health Sciences; Natural and Agricultural Sciences; Theology and Religion and Open Distance Learning.

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