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University of Cape Town (UCT) Scholarships 2023 – South African Scholarships

The South African University of Cape Town (UCT) fully-funded Scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic session announced for all degree programs with a variety of discipline options. International students can take advantage of studying in South Africa for free at UCT on scholarships. The South African Scholarships are fully-funded and do not require IELTS certification mostly.

This outstanding South African named the university of Cape Town started with funds and government support and became a proper high-quality education institution in the 19th century. In the span of almost two decades, the UCT has successfully managed to become one of the top universities in Cape Town. It is famous for providing innovative and extraordinary learning opportunities and a creative environment for the talented and young generations.

The University of Cape Town is a Research-focussed University comprised of six faculties;

  1. Health Sciences
  2. Law
  3. Engineering
  4. Commerce
  5. Science
  6. Humanities

Around 30,000 students are studying at UCT and working day and night for a better future. Out of these, 5,000 are talented international students. The UCT is doing a remarkable job as it has opened various Cape Town University scholarship opportunities for interested candidates from every corner of the world. Students can check the list of available scholarships from the Student Handbook 14.

Medium of Instruction at UCT: English and African

The medium of instruction at UCT is English for teaching purposes, lectures, admission, and examination. However, English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa are official languages used at UCT.

University of Cape Town (UCT) English Language Requirements:

The applicants from non-native English-speaking countries are requested to prove their English language skills for taking admission in UCT. UCT accepts IELTS of at least 6 bands, TOEFL of overall score of 88+, National English Benchmark test, and PTE of overall 67+.

Admission Acceptance Rate of UCT is: 5-7% only

Getting admission to the University of Cape Town (UCT) is not a big problem. UCT has a competitive acceptance rate of up to 7% with low selectivity. However, getting into any medical field is not as easy as it seems. It may require a bit different and complex procedure.

How to Apply for Scholarships at UCT?

As mentioned above, dozens of scholarships are available for the students interested in studying at UCT but cannot apply due to tuition fees funding.

Before applying for any degree program, students have to pre-register themselves at UCT. For further assistance, students can visit International Academic Programs Office (IAPO).

For a scholarship application, candidates have to apply and enroll in the degree program first at UCT. Plan the application at least 6 months or before the deadline.

Once the candidate has applied for the specific degree program, it is time to contact the Head of the Department to inquire about available scholarship opportunities. 

The requirements of documents and applications may vary. For instance, if a candidate is applying for the Need-Based Scholarship Program, he must submit a statement of purpose. However, for Merit-Based Scholarships, statement letters with the academic transcripts and records are mandatory to submit.

Research-Based Scholarships at UCT demand a Research proposal relevant to the course study.

Fully-funded Scholarships at the University Of Cape Town in 2023:

The list of UCT scholarships 2023 available for all students at the University of Cape Town UCT is this:

#1 MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program:

The scholarship for the year 2023 is open but will close very soon. So, apply before the deadline surpasses.

Host University: University of Cape Town.
Degree Level: Undergraduate & Postgraduate.

The UCT and MasterCard Foundation have joined hands to provide a golden opportunity by applying for the MasterCard Scholarship. It is a tuition award scholarship available for overseas candidates. Meanwhile, Africans getting enrolled for the first time in an undergraduate program can apply for this scholarship.

Selection Criteria depend upon the academic grades, commitment, students’ potential, and need for funding.

UCT Master Card Scholarship coverages involve full tuition fee waiver, living costs, health, and travel expenses.

#2 National Research Foundation (NRF) Scholarships:

Students enrolled in any Master’s or Doctoral degree programs at UCT can apply for the NRF scholarship program.

Scholarship Duration:

  • 2 years —> Master’s degree.
  • 3 years —> Doctoral degree.

UCT-NRF Scholarship Benefits include;

    • Tuition fee waiver.
    • Living allowance.
    • Accommodation cost.
    • Travel and food expenses.
    • Also cover, additional expenses, like technological and electrical ones.

To check the application deadlines, please click here.

#3 Refugee and International Scholarships:

This scholarship is available for Postgraduate courses for refugee students. The number of scholarships is limited and awarded based on competency and potential.

Generally, senior candidates prefer this Refuge UCT scholarship program. There is only one application round every year for the International and Refugee Scholarship. Hence, the interested candidates must keep an eye on the deadline.

Scholarship Duration;

  • 1 year —> Honor’s degree.
  • 2 years —> Master’s degree.
  • 3 years —> Ph.D. degree.

However, the scholarship duration can extend if the candidate shows satisfactory performance during the course study program. 

Scholarship Value:

  • R25 000—>Honors 
  • R30 000—> Master’s 
  • R35 000—> Doctoral 

For the scholarship application, candidates must contact the admission office and apply before the deadline.

#4 History Access Scholarships:

The Department of Historical Studies at UCT has opened its doors for candidates eager to take admission in the History Access 5-year degree program. Candidates enrolled in the Master’s and Honor’s degree program can apply for the scholarship.

The number of scholarships and Duration:

  • 3 Scholarships —> Master’s degree (2-year program).
  • 6 Scholarships —> Honors degree (1-year program).

Scholarship Value:

  • For a Master’s degree, it is ZAR 105,000 (first year). But the funds for the second year depending upon the performance of the first year.
  • For the Honors degree, it is ZAR 95,000
  • Eligibility Criteria:
  • Students with proficiency in an African language.
  • Students involved in the innovative research.
  • Information regarding the eligibility criteria and application procedure is here.

#5 MMEG Scholarships by UCT:

It is also known as Margaret McNamara Education Grant. The amount for this MMEG-UCT scholarship is up to USD 7,000. This scholarship is available for female students only, enrolled in Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degrees at UCT.

Age Limit: 25 years.

However, the candidate must be from the eligible country list. Meanwhile, while applying for the scholarship, the candidate must be a full-time student at any accredited university. Before applying for this scholarship, please check the document list.

#6 Sports Scholarships at UCT:

All the candidates who have represented their countries in any sport are eligible for this scholarship. This scholarship aims to attract all sports lovers to the UCT.

Scholarship Value: R4 000 and R8 000.

However, the applicants must talk to the “Sports and Recreation Department” to get considered for this scholarship. For further information, click the link.

#7 Jagger, JW Trust, and Centenary Scholarship Program:

This outstanding scholarship is here for the students studying at UCT with any Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree.

The value of the scholarship varies with the degree programs, like;

  • R 25,000 for Bachelor’s program.
  • R 30,000 for the Master’s program.
  • R 35,000 for the Doctoral program.

Scholarship Duration: 1 year.

But the scholarship duration will expand for one year more for a Master’s degree and two years for a Ph.D. degree.

Application Deadline of UCT Admissions: July 31, 2023

Please submit your admission applications to the University of Cape Town (UCT) for the 2023 academic class before July 31, 2023.

Yousaf Saeed

I'm Dr. Engr. Yousaf Saeed, founder of the AScholarship Education Portal. My academic path includes 3 prestigious international scholarships — Australia Awards, CSC, and HKPFS — for my higher studies. I am also an IChemE affiliate whereas I've also worked for companies like Aramco and BYCO oil refinery as an production engineer at the start of my career. I completed MS, and PhD with major research publications in leading SCI journals (details on my Researchgate Profile). This aScholarship.com reflects my commitment to educating and therefore i started it for the purpose to guide aspiring international students for find scholarships for their higher education dream. As an experienced educator and mentor, I specialize in navigating the intricacies of research and patent and write useful articles on these topics too.