The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) is a donor-funded bursary programme for South African students at partner universities who are studying towards an Occupation of High Demand and can show financial need. Students in this position are often described as the “missing middle”. ISFAP is an independent funding programme, not a government department.
ISFAP requirements, in short: South African citizenship, acceptance at an ISFAP partner university for the relevant degree, academic achievement, a financial means test, and a set of certified documents, including a signed consent form. Funding is not guaranteed to every applicant. Apply through the ISFAP online application portal.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
The ISFAP welcome and application notice sets out the criteria below. Its wording refers to the 2025 first-degree intake, so confirm that nothing has changed for the intake you are applying for.
- You must be a South African citizen.
- You need academic achievement and acceptance into the ISFAP partner university of your choice for the relevant degree programme.
- You should be studying, or planning to study, towards an Occupation of High Demand at an accredited South African university. ISFAP’s student page has the current list of fields.
- You must show financial need through a means test. ISFAP does not publish an income threshold on the pages we checked.
- Which universities, qualifications and groups of students can be funded is set by ISFAP’s funding partners.
Funding is discretionary and donor-funded. The 2025 notice says ISFAP would fund first-year undergraduate students that year but does not guarantee funding for all applicants. Applications are reviewed for academic merit, financial need and career goals.
Documents and Supporting Evidence Required
The mandatory documents listed on the application notice are:
- Certified copy of the applicant’s ID.
- Certified copies of the IDs of your parents, guardians or household contributors.
- Certified copy of your latest academic results (Grade 11 or matric), not password protected.
- The ISFAP consent form, signed by you and your household contributors and certified by a Commissioner of Oaths.
Every document must have been certified within the last three months. The notice suggests certifying at a police station or post office; the portal also accepts certification by a Commissioner of Oaths, police officer or school principal, with signature, date and official stamp. Applications without the supporting documents uploaded will not be considered.
Check the document list on the portal when you apply to see whether ISFAP also requires proof of household income, an admission letter or proof of residence, and do not rely on older lists, including earlier versions of this page.
Application Requirements and Steps
- Check that you meet the eligibility criteria and that your degree is at an ISFAP partner university.
- Gather your documents and have each one certified.
- Download the consent form from the portal, have it signed by you and your household contributors, and have it certified by a Commissioner of Oaths.
- Complete the online application form on the ISFAP online application portal and upload your documents as early as possible before the closing date.
- Wait for your application to be reviewed. ISFAP keeps applicants informed of their status.
The portal has separate undergraduate and postgraduate logins. Postgraduate applications cover master’s and honours degrees; doctoral (PhD) study is not funded.
Costs, Processing Times and Key Conditions
We did not find an application fee, a processing time or a monthly stipend amount on the ISFAP pages we read, so none is stated here. Treat any person or website asking you to pay to apply or to secure ISFAP funding as suspect, and apply only through the official portal.
Successful applicants receive a funding package that includes tuition, accommodation, study material, a monthly stipend and meals, along with student support. ISFAP describes this as wraparound support: academic support, psychosocial counselling, career guidance and skills development. Applications are added to a database used to match qualifying students to donor and ISFAP criteria.
Whether an award is a grant, a loan or carries a work-back obligation is not stated on the ISFAP pages we read. Ask ISFAP and get the terms in writing before you accept an offer. The 2026 and 2027 opening and closing dates were also not published where we looked, so confirm them on the portal.
Where and How to Apply
Apply only at the ISFAP online application portal. It is the place to submit your form, upload documents and check your application status, and it has a chatbot for status questions. The consent form is downloaded from the same portal; see the ISFAP welcome and application notice for the document list.
ISFAP contact details: email [email protected], phone 010 880 0400 or WhatsApp 072 617 8072, as shown on the portal. More options are on the ISFAP contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ISFAP?
ISFAP is the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme. It provides donor-funded bursaries and wraparound support to South African students at partner universities who are studying towards Occupations of High Demand.
What are the ISFAP requirements?
South African citizenship, acceptance at an ISFAP partner university, academic achievement, financial need shown by a means test, and certified documents including a signed consent form.
Where do I get the ISFAP consent form?
Download it from the ISFAP online application portal. You and your household contributors must sign it, and a Commissioner of Oaths must certify it within three months of your submission.
What are the ISFAP contact details?
Email [email protected], phone 010 880 0400 or WhatsApp 072 617 8072. ISFAP’s contact page lists other channels for donors and data queries.
Does ISFAP fund any degree?
No. It funds Occupations of High Demand at partner universities, and which universities and qualifications are covered depends on ISFAP’s funding partners.
Is ISFAP a grant or a loan?
ISFAP does not state this on the pages we read. Confirm the terms with ISFAP before accepting an award.
Can I hold two bursaries?
ISFAP does not state a rule on this on the pages we read. Disclose any other funding you hold or have applied for, and ask ISFAP whether it affects your award.
Confirm current requirements, dates and award terms with ISFAP. See the application requirements guide and browse all government services requirements.