Sasol offers bursary opportunities to South African students wishing to study specific fields at higher-education institutions in South Africa.
Depending on the opportunity, the funding can provide support for the entire duration of a student’s studies and can sometimes also cover additional expenses associated with the course of study.
For students wishing to apply for a Sasol bursary, it is important to know that the company has several funding opportunities open to different criteria.
These criteria include academic requirements, household-income conditions, qualifying fields of study and other requirements.
Does Sasol offer scholarships?
For the most part, Sasol refers to its student-funding opportunities as bursaries.
This means that the financial support provided to students will cover approved expenses relating to their studies, but only up to the limits stated in their funding agreement.
For students, the difference between a scholarship and a bursary is that the latter usually funds specific expenses relating to a student’s studies, up to a predetermined level.
Sasol offers bursary opportunities for students at different phases of their higher-education studies, including some undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
What does a Sasol bursary cover?
Depending on the specific bursary and its conditions, a Sasol bursary can cover a range of expenses associated with a student’s studies, including:
- Tuition and registration fees
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Study materials, including books
- Laptop or other study-related allowances if applicable
- Other allowances
It is important to remember that not all Sasol bursaries cover the same expenses and that students should always consider the terms and conditions of a specific bursary relevant to their studies before making an application.
Which fields can be funded?
Sasol bursaries tend to focus more on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-related studies.
The list of qualifying studies can vary depending on the bursary, but it generally includes engineering and science studies.
There are also Sasol Foundation bursaries that can fund non-STEM studies.
Students should therefore always verify that the specific degree they are considering is covered by a bursary before making an application.
Sasol Mainstream Bursary Programme
The Sasol Mainstream Bursary Programme is intended for full-time students who are studying selected Sasol-linked undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
The programme focuses specifically on fields of study related to engineering, science and technology.
The Sasol Mainstream Bursary Programme can also cover selected postgraduate studies, such as MSc, MEng and PhD degrees, but only if the applicants meet the requirements for the specific bursary.
Sasol Foundation bursaries
The Sasol Foundation has a number of bursaries that are available to students who meet specific requirements.
The requirements can include things like being from a lower-income or missing-middle household, coming from a specific community and other requirements set by Sasol.
Some of these bursaries are specifically aimed at students from lower-income households, while some of the Sasol Foundation bursaries are available to children of shareholders, Sasol staff members or Sasol-related communities.
Who can apply for a Sasol bursary?
Eligibility criteria can vary for each bursary, but there are some general requirements that most Sasol bursaries share.
Generally speaking, applicants will need to:
- Be South African citizens
- Study or intend to study at an approved South African public university or university of technology
- Meet the required academic performance criteria
- Have the required subjects for the qualification they wish to study
- Meet the household-income requirements, if applicable
- Meet other specific requirements, if applicable
For Sasol bursaries that are science, technology, engineering or math (STEM)-related, students are usually required to have a good pass in Mathematics, Physical Sciences and English.
There might also be minimum requirements for specific qualifications.
Do you need high marks?
Academic performance is an important criterion for Sasol bursaries.
While the general requirement for marks in most Sasol bursaries tends to be a good pass, the exact requirements can vary from bursary to bursary.
Students should therefore always refer to the academic requirements for a specific bursary and not rely on the general statement of a good pass.
The subjects of study can also vary depending on the bursary.
For example, Mathematics and Physical Sciences tend to be more important for technical and STEM-related studies than for non-STEM studies.
Meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee that a student will receive a bursary.
They will still need to meet the selection criteria of the specific bursary they are applying for.
Where can Sasol bursary recipients study?
The information provided by Sasol indicates that the students who receive a bursary can study at approved South African public universities and universities of technology.
The qualification they are studying and the university they are attending need to meet the requirements of the specific bursary.
Does Sasol provide postgraduate bursaries?
Yes.
Sasol offers bursaries that can cover selected postgraduate studies.
Depending on the bursary, the studies that can be covered include MSc, MEng and PhD degrees in Sasol-related fields.
Postgraduate applicants therefore need to refer to the specific requirements of the bursary they are applying for, as the eligibility criteria can differ from those of an undergraduate bursary.
Does receiving a bursary guarantee a job at Sasol?
Receiving a bursary is not a guarantee of a job at Sasol.
Some of the Sasol bursary opportunities can offer graduates with the funding a pathway into the company, but students should not assume that they will automatically receive a job offer if they are a bursary recipient.
How does the application process work?
Applications for Sasol bursaries are usually submitted online via the application portal on Sasol’s website.
Before completing an application, students should ensure that they meet the requirements for the bursary and have all supporting documents ready.
They should specifically check the following:
- Whether they are South African citizens
- Whether the qualification they are applying for is covered by the bursary
- Whether their university is an approved institution according to the bursary
- Whether they meet the academic requirements
- Whether they qualify under the household-income criteria
- Whether they need to submit supporting documents
- When applications for the bursary close
- Whether there are any other specific requirements
Why students should check the latest requirements
The requirements for Sasol bursaries can change from year to year.
Qualifications that were previously covered by a bursary might not be covered in the upcoming intake, and requirements such as the minimum passing marks can also change.
Students should therefore always use the information on the current bursary as their source of reference, and not information from a previous application cycle.
What makes a Sasol bursary useful?
In most cases, a bursary is useful because it covers some of the expenses that a student would otherwise have to pay themselves.
For a student who receives a bursary, this can reduce the pressure of having to cover the costs of their studies.
Especially when a bursary covers the living costs of a student at a university, the funding can help the recipient to focus more on their studies.
Additionally, when a bursary covers other expenses such as books or a laptop, it can remove the financial burden of these costs from the student.
Some bursaries can even have additional benefits, such as mentorship opportunities or academic support, which can help the recipient to get more out of university.
But before accepting a bursary, students need to make sure that they understand all the conditions of the bursary, as certain restrictions might limit the benefits.
Final advice for prospective applicants
Students who are considering applying for a Sasol bursary should first determine what qualification they would like to study, and whether that qualification is covered by a Sasol bursary.
They should also ensure that they are always applying through the correct application platform and that they have all the required documents ready before submitting an application.
Most importantly, students should not rely on an old advertisement for a Sasol bursary when applying for funding, as requirements and other details can change.
Editorial and fact-checking information
Editorial approach: This article provides evergreen information about Sasol bursaries and does not include the deadline, intake or benefits for a specific bursary.
Fact-checking: Programme-specific requirements, qualifying qualifications, funding benefits and application dates should be verified with the latest information from Sasol before submitting an application.
Corrections: If Sasol updates its requirements or publishes new information about its bursaries, this article should be updated to ensure that the reader is not relying on outdated information.
