Funding Period

What is the maximum period of support for full-time study at the various postgraduate levels of study?

Level of study	Maximum period of support
Honours’	One (1) year
Masters	Two (2) years
Doctoral	Three (3) years
Masters upgrade to doctoral	Four (4) years, of which 1 or 2 years may be for masters studies
Extension support for master's and doctoral	Six (6) or twelve (12) months

Some students may need more than three years to complete a doctoral degree. Will the stipulated three years for completion be sufficient?

The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) minimum prescribed period for full-time masters and doctoral studies are one (1) and two (2) years respectively. NRF funded students are eligible for two (2) years of funding for masters studies and three (3) years of funding for doctoral studies. Under exceptional circumstances, students may apply for extension support of six (6) or twelve (12) months for completion of the masters or doctoral degree.

What does ‘uninterrupted study support’ mean?

Uninterrupted study support is funding of postgraduate students from the honours up to the doctoral level. Students must register for a master’s degree immediately after completing the honours degree and/or register for a doctoral degree immediately after completing the master’s degree. In addition they will have to make a new scholarship application for each study level and meet the stipulated academic entry requirements.

How will the NRF cater for female students that have taken time off from their studies in-between degrees to raise a family?

The maximum age limits for applying for NRF funding makes provision for an interruption period of up to six (6) years during postgraduate studies, which enables female students who wish to take a break during their postgraduate studies to raise a family. Female students that take a break during their postgraduate studies to raise a family will be eligible for uninterrupted postgraduate funding provided that they meet all other eligibility criteria. For example, a student who completes her undergraduate degree at the age of 21 has a period of 11 years in which to complete an honours and master’s degree and apply for funding for doctoral studies by the age of 32 years.

Is it possible for students who started a doctoral or master’s degree without NRF funding to apply for the funding from their second year onwards?

Yes, full-time students that have commenced their master’s or doctoral studies without NRF funding may apply for funding for completion of their master’s or doctoral degree provided that all other eligibility criteria have been met including the age of entry requirement. Master’s students will not be funded beyond their second year of registration and doctoral students will not be funded beyond their third year of registration and the initial date for registration of the degree will be considered.

Can students apply for funding at any level of study?

Yes, students may enter at any level of their postgraduate studies provided that they meet the NRF eligibility criteria and university requirements. For example, a student that did not meet the 65% requirement in their honours/four year undergraduate degree will not be funded for masters studies and a student that did not meet the 65% requirement in the masters degree will not be funded for doctoral studies.

How many years will students who upgrade from a masters to doctoral registration have to complete their studies?

A student who is upgrading from a master’s to doctoral studies will receive funding for a total of four (4) years. A student who upgrades after receiving one (1) year of funding will receive funding for a further three (3) years and a student who upgrades after receiving two (2) years of funding will receive a further two (2) years of funding to complete the doctoral degree.

Will the NRF still be considering applications for extension support and at what level of study?

Yes, the NRF will maintain its mechanism for providing extension of funding support at the master’s and doctoral level only. Recipients of both Full Cost of Study (FCS) and PCS scholarships may apply for extension support funding, however such extension will only be provided under exceptional circumstances and will not exceed twelve (12) months. Students who are awarded extension support will be awarded according to the value of their scholarship received in the year of extension support application.

How will students who started the first year of their master’s or doctoral studies in the year 2020 and before with NRF funding be funded under the DSI-NRF Postgraduate Funding Policy?

Master’s or doctoral students who started their first year of studies in 2020 or before will continue on the old funding model until completion of their degrees. The phasing out process of the old funding model will reach its end in 2023. From 2024 onwards all students will be on the new postgraduate funding model.