The University of Cape Town’s (UCT’s) online high school is working with partners to offer the Learning Liberated Scholarship and 2025 Bursary Programme to underprivileged learners.
According to a statement, the initiative offers partial scholarships or bursaries for the January 2025 registration period, with the aim to make education more accessible to a diverse range of learners who may not be able to afford the full tuition.
Financial aid will be provided to 1 000 deserving learners in grades eight to 11 across the country, covering 80% of the annual school fees, with parents covering the remaining 20%.
Applications are open until 31 August.
“We are thrilled to announce that the Learning Liberated Scholarship and Bursary Programme has already attracted interest from over 8 000 families eager to see if they qualify, even before the application process officially began,” says Munei Tshiovhe, corporate partnerships manager at UCT Online High School.
“Building on last year's success, where we funded 100 learners, we are now aiming to expand our reach to support 1 000 learners this year. In response to the overwhelming demand, we've adapted our academic achievement criteria to broaden the impact across the country.”
According to Tshiovhe, it's evident that South African families are seeking financial assistance for their children's education, and the school is committed to making a significant difference with the aid of corporate partners nationwide, including Sanlam and insurance institute Sasria.
The approach of partnering with corporates and government institutions allows for more efficient distribution of financial aid, supporting a larger number of learners with available funds, according to the online learning institution.
Partial scholarships or bursaries also foster a sense of commitment among recipients to maintain academic performance, leading to higher success rates, it notes.
All applications will be reviewed for shortlisting by the end of September, with successful recipients notified in early October.
Successful recipients will begin their schooling in January 2025.
For information on the required criteria, visit the website.
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