PSSA Bursaries 2027

The Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa invites students to apply for bursary funding, for the 2027 academic year.

Funding is made available through the Foundation for Pharmaceutical  Education (FPE), and is aimed at Pharmacy-related studies (Undergraduate and Postgraduate). The bursary is administered by the PSSA.

• The Undergraduate bursary will be awarded to BPharm students.
• The Postgraduate bursary is for studies towards  Pharmacy related subjects, at Masters and Doctoral level.

IS THE PSSA BURSARY RENEWABLE EACH YEAR?

The bursary is awarded for 1 academic year at a time, and candidates must submit a new application each year for a bursary renewal. Bursary application assistance

Undergraduate bursaries will be awarded based on the following: students financial circumstances; academic achievements and other financial assistance received.

Postgraduate bursaries will be awarded based on the following: project viability and academic potential (which counts for 60%) and financial need (which counts for 40%).

WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE PSSA BURSARY?

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):Business Operations

Undergraduate bursary:

You must be a South African citizen

You must have completed Matric

You must be studying full-time towards a BPharm qualification

You must be entering your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of study in 2027 (the bursary will NOT fund 1st year students)

You must be studying at a recognised tertiary institute in South Africa

You must be a PSSA student member (membership is free for students – apply here

Postgraduate bursary:

• You must be a South African citizen
• You must have completed Matric
• You must have completed an undergraduate qualification
• You must be studying full-time towards a postgraduate (Masters or Doctoral) Pharmacy qualification
• You must be studying at a recognised tertiary institute in South Africa
• You must read and agree to the terms and conditions of the bursary (page 2 and 6 of the application form)
• You must be a PSSA student member (find out about the membership fees and complete the membership application form)

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR THE PSSA BURSARY?

Applications must be submitted online at:

• PSSA Bursary Application 2027 (Undergraduate)
• PSSA Bursary Application 2027 (Postgraduate): applications are currently CLOSED and will reopen in May 2027.

WHAT DOCUMENTS MUST I SUBMIT FOR THE PSSA BURSARY?

Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your completed application form (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):

• ID document (certified copy)
• Full tertiary academic record/ transcript (certified copy)
• Motivational letter from a pharmacy lecturer
• Financial declaration (proof of parents/ guardians/ household income: certified copy of payslips if employed; balance sheet if self-employed; affidavit if unemployed or working within the informal sector; proof of pension if applicable) (signed by the applicant and person responsible for your financial support) (see the application form for more info)

NOTES ABOUT THE PSSA BURSARIES

• Certified copies of documents must be submitted – do NOT submit original documents.
• The bursary will NOT cover any existing loans or outstanding student debts.
• Applicants will receive an email confirmation once their application has been received.
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted – if you do not receive any feedback, please accept that your application was not successful.
• The final decision will be made by the Committee – no correspondence will be entered into regarding the decision.
• Postgraduate candidates must read the Guidelines for award of the SAAHIP post-graduate bursary (.pdf) before applying

WHEN IS THE CLOSING DATE FOR THE PSSA BURSARY?

• Undergraduate bursary: 5 October 2026.
• Postgraduate (Masters/ Doctoral) bursary: applications are closed and will reopen in May 2027.

(Applications submitted after these dates will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER?

For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact the  Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa directly:
Contact Person: Ms Nitsa Manolis (FPE Administrator)
Tel 012 470 9562
Email: nitsa@pssa.org.za