The Department of Student Affairs at UCT provides a comprehensive support framework (housing, financial aid, wellness) for students from financially constrained backgrounds.
National Student Financial Aid (NSFAS)
The Student Financial Aid (SFA) cluster in DSA manages national bursary funding (National Student Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS) and donor funding for students who are financially needy and academically deserving. Around 40% of South African undergraduates at UCT are NSFAS-funded, and that direct donor contributions and “gap funding” for the “missing middle” play a meaningful role in supporting students who may not qualify for full government funding. UCT also provides supplementary funding through GAP funding and the Sibling Rebate Bursary for students not qualifying for NSFAS. Should a student's NSFAS application be unsuccessful, they may apply for GAP funding through the UCT Financial Aid Office.
Sibling rebate
The Sibling Rebate Bursary at UCT is a thoughtful initiative designed to alleviate the financial burden on families with multiple children enrolled in full-time undergraduate programmes at the University of Cape Town.
This rebate offers a 20% reduction in tuition fees for students from families with a combined annual household income of R600 000 to R750 000. For families with two or more undergraduate siblings at UCT, who do not qualify for NSFAS or GAP funding.
UCT gap funding
Gap funding at UCT provides targeted support to students who experience a financial shortfall and do not qualify for NSFAS.
This funding, which includes both a bursary and loan component, helps cover remaining tuition fees and living expenses, ensuring students can continue their studies without financial disruption.
Notable interventions to assist financially constrained students in 2024
- Student laptop programme
- Makes laptops accessible for all students
- NSFAS funding
- More than R600 million in funding for deserving students
- Donations
- R50 million towards helping students achieve their academic aspirations
- GAP funding
- UCT’s missing middle funding programme for those that are not NSFAS eligible and need some financial support
- Fee debt appeals
- Annually SFA manages the undergraduate fee debt appeal process to help students that meet the financial and academic criteria to continue with their studies. In 2024 UCT also took specific financial-relief steps for students with outstanding fee debt. For example, on 20 February 2024 UCT Council approved a framework for concessions for students whose fee debt exceeded R10 000, thereby allowing academically eligible students with debt to register rather than being blocked outright. These concessions signal targeted support for students from lower-income families who are vulnerable to registration blocks or exclusion due to debt.
- Allowances
- For the first six months of the year, students’ allowances were paid directly into their bank accounts, after which NSFAS introduced the NSFAS Bank Account, a direct allowance payment system.
In terms of housing and maintenance of student wellbeing, the Student Housing and Residence Life cluster offers almost 8 000 beds across UCT residences. The 2024 Student Affairs update emphasised that residences are designed to support students’ holistic development, and that UCT is committed to providing a positive out-of-class experience.
Although detailed data on exactly how many low-income students are housed is not fully broken down in public announcements, this large capacity illustrates UCT’s intention to secure living-space support for students who might otherwise face accommodation barriers.
Further support for food security was documented in a 2025 article referencing the 2024 programme: UCT’s Food Sovereignty Programme distributed nearly 10 000 grocery packs in 2024 to under- or unfunded students. This provisioning of monthly grocery packs and toiletry packs demonstrates that UCT recognised and acted to mitigate a food-security barrier for financially vulnerable students whose basic needs might otherwise hamper academic performance.
Regarding transport, all students including financially constrained students may use free transport services provided by the university. A bus shuttle service, called the UCT Shuttle, is available free to all UCT students and staff.
A fleet of 26 buses, including a special one for disabled passengers, operates between residences, all UCT campuses and some public bus, train and parking facilities close to the university.
Taken together, these measures show that UCT has in 2024 put in place financial aid, accommodation support, debt relief/registration concessions, and food-security interventions targeted at students from low-income families, thereby enabling them to persist and complete their studies despite financial challenges.