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Cashing In The Bursary Chips
FOOTING THE education bill
Get the financial support you need and deserve
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Bursaries play a key role in helping students to access higher education by fully or partially funding their studies. Given the cost of education, it is always a good idea to see what bursaries are available at any given stage of your academic career, writes Margarethe Booysens.
Bursaries are awarded to provide financial aid to students, but not all bursary applications are the same. They are structured can differ significantly from one bursary to the next. In general, bursaries are either awarded by companies or universities based on certain criteria. Bursaries are mostly awarded based on merit and the need for financial aid.
In some instances, companies or institutions simply fund
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How to secure a bursary
Tips for your bursary application
Securing your sports bursary
17 tips to write a winning résumé
A gateway to a better world for all
the qualifying student’s studies; in others, a company might expect you to work for them once you have completed your qualification. When applying for a bursary, make sure you do your research and read the fine print.
How to secure a bursary First, you need to establish which bursaries are available for your chosen qualification. You can search the internet and visit companies’ websites that are of interest to you.
Here are useful general website resources to visit:
• General Bursaries South Africa – tinyurl.com/pk5cswjd • Careers Portal – www.careersportal. co.za/bursaries-2021 • Industrial Development Corporation – www.idc.co.za/bursaries • Bursaries South Africa – bursaries-southafrica.co.za • Bursaries Info – bursariesinfo.co.za • Gift of the Givers – tinyurl.com/f64fj4wk • Bursary Guide South Africa – www.bursaryguide.com • Bursary 24 – bursary24.co.za • All Bursaries – allbursaries.co.za • Student Room – tinyurl.com/2bzw27c8 • National Research Foundation – www.nrf.ac.za • Apply SA – tinyurl.com/2ze2t5m6 There are many more bursary resources available online. The above are only a select few.
Once you have identified the specific career option and choice, you will be able to target your bursary application per industry sector.
You can also ask friends and family whether the companies they work for offer bursaries. Each bursary will have its own criteria. Make sure you read the requirements carefully to ensure that you fit the bill. It’s also useful to search for bursaries long before you need to start applying. You don’t have to wait until you’re in matric to start looking for opportunities. This is a process you can start in Grade 10 and continue throughout your studies. This way, you will know in advance what the requirements are so that you can work towards them to ensure you meet the standards when you apply. Also, have a look at the application process. It might be as simple as submitting documentation or you might need to go for an interview. When the time comes, apply on time. Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your application. The last thing you want to do is miss the deadline – and the opportunity!
Uphold your end of the deal. Bursaryholders are required to sign a contract. Read the fine print and ensure you abide by the terms of the contract, and that you are able to deliver what is expected of you.
Tips for your application • Ensure that you know what you need to submit in order to apply for a specific bursary. • Are online and email applications allowed or do you need to submit documents in person? • What additional documents are required? • Do they need financial statements, your matric certificate or a copy of your identity document? • Do your documents need to be certified? • Provide all the information that is required. • Remember that the institution receives thousands of applications and your application will simply end up in a deleted folder or a bin if it is incomplete. • Check if you need to write a letter of application and use the opportunity to clearly motivate why you are deserving of this particular bursary. • Use the requirements of the bursary programme to highlight why you are the ideal applicant. • Do research on the institution or company offering the bursary and make it clear in your application or interview that you understand their business. • Be honest about your financial situation. • Many bursaries are meant for those who are in financial need and companies may check your financial status before awarding you a bursary. • Don’t risk your reputation. • Submit a professional application. • There are many templates available on the internet that you can use to guide you in terms of the layout and wording of a letter of application. • Spell-check and proofread your application to ensure it is free of spelling or grammatical errors. • Keep your letter of application concise. • Short and sweet is key. It should preferably not be longer than one page, pending their stipulated requirements.
Securing your sports bursary Sports bursaries are usually offered by tertiary institutions and awarded to achievers in sport, rather than based on academic merit.
This affords those who do not necessarily perform well academically the opportunity to still access higher education funding opportunities. However, this doesn’t mean that academic performance doesn’t matter! You will still need to be accepted for the qualification you want to pursue. Some institutions offer an academic support programme to ensure that sport Some institutions offer an academic support programme to ensure that sport bursaryholders meet their academic commitments as well.
bursary-holders meet their academic commitments as well.
Tertiary institutions usually require you to commit to a sports code offered by the institution and applicants need to have competed on a national, regional or provincial level, or at first-team level at school.
After being awarded a sports bursary, institutions may require you to re-apply on an annual basis.
Visit the different tertiary institutions’ websites to see if sports bursaries are offered and what the requirements are. You can also speak to your sports coach.
TIPS TO WRITE A WINNING17 résumé
03 Regarding your personal information, note that you are not obliged to disclose your date of birth, your marital status, nationality, your health status or your physical address. You are welcome to includes this information, but it is not a legal requirement for recruitment.
06 Don’t simply use the same résumé for each job application. Tailor the CV and application according to the requirements of the job or bursary you are applying for. The same applies for your cover letter or letter of application.
09 Use clear headings in your résumé and order the information you provide accordingly. You do not need to include a header or footer that says: Résumé or Private & Confidential. Search online for relevant CV templates to download and personalise.
12 Remember to use present tense power verbs for current positions and past tense power verbs for previous positions.
15 Proofread and edit your résumé to ensure there are no spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors. 04 Unless you performed top of your class, and you wish to include that achievement, it is preferred not to include your actual marks in your CV.
01 A résumé or CV is seen as a personal marketing document and is used throughout the application and selection process. Be concise but don’t leave out important information. Remember, as much as it’s a marketing document, it has to be functional.
07 Read the advert carefully, use and repeat the same keywords that are used under requirements, qualifications, skills and experience. Use the P.A.R. approach - the Problem, Action Taken and Result (or outcome).
10 Check what specific information is requested by the recruiter and include your relevant knowledge, skills or experience.
13 Pay attention to the visual appearance of your résumé. Use a professional and clear font like Arial or Calibri and 1.5 spacing. Keep your font size between 10 and 12. Use only one font type throughout the document.
16 Try avoiding complexed templates including a lot of tables, images, graphics and columns. 05 Remember to include participation and achievements in sport, culture societies, clubs and community volunteer work.
02 Include a link to your LinkedIn profile, a contact number and a professional email address.
08 Use accomplishment statements throughout your résumé. These showcase specific achievements and quantify results.
11 Be selective in deciding what you include. While your debating team achievement might be relevant when you apply for university admission after school, it becomes irrelevant in later applications. Use action or power verbs and include as many measurable results and outcomes as possible.
14 Include at least two references in your CV. If you recently graduated, one of the references should refer to your academic performance. Ensure that you have obtained prior approval from the references to include their details.
17 Submit your CV in Microsoft Word format, not PDF. Some automated Applicant Tracking Systems block PDF documents and might scramble your data.
Did you know?
Leonardo Da Vinci is credited with writing the first résumé. (CareerOrigin.com)
It is critical that your CV application is accompanied by a cover letter or email, unless you are specifically requested not to submit a cover l etter. This forms part of the recruitment selection process and your personal brand. CASE STUDY
A gateway to a better world for all
Thembalethu Seyisi has first-hand experience of the impact a bursary can make on a person’s future, and how funding can make dreams and goals – that may otherwise be out of reach – more accessible.
Originally from Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, he was one of the first recipients of the Ciucci bursary awarded by the Stella Foundation. Thembalethu, who is registered for an LLB degree, says the bursary will enable him to pursue his passion.
Losing his mother at the age of 13 when he was in Grade 7, he had to move to Cape Town in 2014 to live with an older sister while completing his schooling.
He was inspired to study law after reading Long Walk to Freedom, the autobiography of former president Nelson Mandela.
“I believe that law is a noble profession and that a law degree will open doors for me to move into the public space where I can advance the Constitution and safeguard the rule of law,” he explains. “The edifice of (in)justice and delayed constitutional promises is quite disappointing at the moment and this motivates me to keep on going.”
He quotes Madiba: “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”
Thembalethu Seyisi
For Thembalethu, the donors are a true embodiment of these words. “They’ve made the world a better place for me and for that I’m very grateful.” The founders of the Stella Foundation, Giuseppe and Kathleen Ciucci, are both alumni of Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Law and have supported the faculty for a number of years. The bursaries enable underprivileged students to obtain an outstanding academic qualification that will eventually lead to them making a positive contribution to society and our country in general.
Résumés are used to learn more about you and to evaluate whether you are the ideal applicant.
Did you know?
A CV is mostly used within the academic and research environments, whereas a résumé is more used in standard employment sectors. A CV is generally more comprehensive, while a résumé is usually a onepage summary with highlights.
