There is no single SETA bursary, so there is no single set of SETA bursary requirements. Each Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) runs its own scheme, sets its own income bracket and funding cap, and decides who submits the application. The common thread: you study a qualification in the SETA’s sector, you are usually unemployed and in financial need, and you cannot be double-funded by NSFAS or another SETA.
SETAs were re-established under the Skills Development Act from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2030. They are funded by the skills development levy, which SARS collects at 1% of an employer’s payroll. Several SETAs now accept applications only through universities and colleges, not from students directly.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
Check the specific SETA’s current guidelines for the exact rules. These are the conditions the SETAs we checked state:
- Field of study: the qualification must fall within the SETA’s sector. A banking qualification goes to BANKSETA, an education qualification to ETDP SETA, and so on.
- Employment status: ETDP SETA’s scheme is meant for unemployed students, meaning students not in a job that pays remuneration, who have no other funding.
- Institution: BANKSETA’s 2026 Higher Education window is for public universities and universities of technology. ETDP SETA works through partner institutions.
- No other funding: BANKSETA requires institutions to make sure funded learners are not also funded by other public funders such as SETAs or NSFAS. ETDP SETA does not consider students who have applied for or received other bursary funding.
- Citizenship and academic record: expect a South African ID and a minimum pass level, but the thresholds are set by each SETA or institution, so confirm them with the Financial Aid Office.
Income and Affordability Requirements
A SETA bursary is means-tested, and the bracket depends on the scheme. Many now target the “missing middle”: students whose household income is too high for NSFAS but too low to pay fees.
- BANKSETA’s 2026 Higher Education Funding Window covers learners within the NSFAS bracket as well as the missing middle, which it defines as a household income between R350,000 and R600,000 a year. See the 2026 guidelines.
- ETDP SETA states that its bursary scheme funds the missing middle and is intended for unemployed students with no other source of funding.
Because income is assessed, you will need proof of household income for everyone contributing to the household. If a parent is unemployed, self-employed or deceased, an affidavit or death certificate replaces the payslip.
Credit and Financial Requirements
A SETA bursary is a grant, not a loan, so there is no credit check and no minimum credit score. The financial conditions that matter are about how the money is paid and what it covers.
- The money goes to the institution, not to you. SETAs sign an agreement with the university or college, which administers the funds on the student’s behalf.
- There is a cap per student. ETDP SETA bursaries do not exceed R150,000 per student per year, according to its student notice of 3 November 2025. The institution sets the breakdown, and registration and tuition are funded first. BANKSETA’s 2026 cap is R120,000 per learner per year, split into tuition (R50,000), study material (R10,000), accommodation (R45,000) and living or meal allowances (R15,000).
- It may not cover everything. ETDP SETA warns that its bursary may not meet all your study and personal costs, and unused funds go back to the SETA, not to the student.
- Double funding is not allowed. See the no-other-funding rule above.
- Funding is annual. Continuing students are funded year by year, so your academic results determine whether the bursary carries on.
Read your bursary agreement before signing it. If it includes a work-back or repayment clause, it is binding.
Documents and Verification Required
The institution or SETA will tell you exactly what to submit. ETDP SETA requires all learner documents to be in before registration. Expect to provide:
- Certified copy of your South African ID
- Certified copies of your parents’ or guardians’ IDs
- Latest academic results (Grade 12 results for first-year students, or your academic record for continuing students)
- Proof of registration or an acceptance letter from the institution
- Proof of household income, such as payslips, a pension slip or an affidavit of unemployment
- Death certificate(s), where a parent is deceased
- Proof of residence
- A motivation letter or CV, where the scheme asks for one
How to Apply and Improve Approval Readiness
Before you start, find out which route your SETA uses. For the two schemes covered here, you do not apply to the SETA yourself:
- Through your institution. ETDP SETA no longer accepts walk-ins or direct applications. Students apply to one of the partner universities or colleges on the SETA’s list, which administer the bursary. BANKSETA’s window is for public universities and universities of technology, which apply on behalf of students, so you ask your financial aid office to include you.
- Directly with the SETA. Other SETAs may advertise bursaries on their own websites. Services SETA, for example, funds students through the institution’s Financial Aid Office and has withdrawn its 2026/27 funding windows.
To give yourself the best chance:
- Identify the SETA whose sector covers your qualification.
- Ask your institution’s financial aid or bursary office which SETA bursaries it administers and when its internal deadline is. Institutions have to submit before the SETA’s own closing date.
- Watch the SETA’s official website for funding window notices. BANKSETA’s 2026 guidelines gave a closing date of 24 December 2025, so that window has closed; check its site for the next one.
- Have your documents certified and ready before the window opens.
- Apply for NSFAS as well if you fall within its bracket, but declare any funding you receive, as SETA schemes exclude double funding.
- Never pay anyone to apply. SETA bursary applications are free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for a SETA bursary directly?
It depends on the SETA. ETDP SETA does not accept direct applications from students, and BANKSETA’s window is applied for by institutions. Other SETAs advertise bursaries on their own websites. Check the SETA’s official site before applying.
What are the SETA bursary requirements for 2026?
They are set by each SETA. BANKSETA’s 2026 window covers NSFAS-bracket learners and the missing middle (household income R350,000 to R600,000) with a cap of R120,000 per learner per year. ETDP SETA funds unemployed students with no other funding, up to R150,000 per student per year, through partner institutions.
Can I get a SETA bursary if I already have NSFAS?
Generally not for the same costs. BANKSETA requires institutions to make sure its learners are not funded by NSFAS or another SETA, and ETDP SETA excludes students with other bursary funding.
How do I know which SETA covers my course?
Match your qualification to the sector each SETA serves. Your institution’s financial aid office can tell you which SETA bursaries it administers for your faculty.
Does a SETA bursary pay money into my account?
Usually not. The SETA pays the institution, which uses the funds for registration, tuition and other approved costs. ETDP SETA says unused funds go back to the SETA.
Is there an application fee?
No. SETA bursary applications are free. Anyone asking for a fee to apply for or “release” a bursary is running a scam.
Funding caps, income brackets and closing dates change with every funding window. Confirm the current SETA bursary requirements on the relevant SETA’s official website, such as ETDP SETA or BANKSETA, or with your institution’s financial aid office before applying. For other funding options, compare loan requirements and browse all finance and funding requirements.