The call for funding in 2025 has closed.
Introduction
The Nelson Mandela University Part-time Scholarship is aimed at funding students enrolled for masters and doctoral studies which are only offered part-time. This document provides guidelines on all aspects of the part-time scholarship and should be read in conjunction with the policy on masters and doctoral degrees (IRC 403.01).
Eligibility Criteria
This funding is open to South African citizens, permanent residents and international candidates who intend to undertake masters and doctoral studies which are only offered part-time at Nelson Mandela University. Masters and doctoral students with z-registration (i.e. register after April) are eligible to apply. Additional eligibility criteria applicable to first-time applicants are listed in section 2 of the Call framework document.
Application Process
Students must first identify the honours, masters or doctoral programme they want to be enrolled in for their postgraduate degree and apply for admission before applying for funding. Students who meet the eligibility criteria are invited to complete and submit (via email) the application form and accompanying documents to Ms Welma van Heerden (Welma.VanHeerden@mandela.ac.za) by Thursday 31 October 2024.
Applications that do not have the required attachments, contain insufficient or incorrect information or fail to comply with instructions are incomplete and will be rejected. Unfortunately, late applications cannot be considered.
Funding Principles
This part-time scholarship programme will be allocated in line with the following transformation targets:
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90% South African citizens and permanent residents
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10% students from SADC countries and beyond
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55% women
The South African citizens and permanent residents’ targets are further disaggregated in terms of race and disability as follows:
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75% Black (African, Coloured, and Indian)
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24% White
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1% students living with a disability
When scholarship awards are made, consideration will be given to ensuring the need to strengthen research capacity in national priority research areas and the institutional research themes, as well as to accelerate demographic transformation. Allocation of funding will be determined by recommendation by the internal review panel; historic trends in scholarship uptake; postgraduate enrolment; financial need based on previous NSFAS funding and availability of budget.
Scholarship Value and Maximum Funding Period
All Grantholders with disabilities may apply for additional funding for an assistive technology device or human support of up to R20 000. This is the maximum amount permitted during the tenure of the scholarship.
Contact Details
All queries may be directed to Ms Welma van Heerden (Welma.VanHeerden@mandela.ac.za) Tel: +27 (0) 41 504 4510