The five mistakes that cost people funding 

1. Incomplete applications:
This is the one that hurts us the most, because it is the easiest to avoid.An incomplete application cannot be assessed. It is not that we do not want to. We cannot. Our selection process requires a full set of information to make a fair comparison between candidates, and when a section is blank or a document is missing, there is nothing to compare. The application does not go into a "maybe" pile. It comes out of the running entirely.Before you submit, go back to the beginning and read through the whole form again. Every field. Every attachment. If something does not apply to you, write "not applicable" rather than leaving it empty, so we know you read the question.

2. Not answering the question that was actually asked:
If we ask for a 200-word essay, we want 200 words. Not one sentence. Not a paragraph. Not 2 000 words either. We ask for a specific length because we want to know how you think, how you construct an argument, and whether you can sustain one. A single sentence tells us nothing about you except that you did not want to spend the time. And the assessor reviewing your application has no choice but to score it against applicants who wrote the full 200 words thoughtfully. The same goes for every other question. Read it carefully. Answer what is being asked, not what you wish had been asked. If the question asks how you plan to contribute to your community after graduating, do not give us your life story. Give us the plan.

3. Applying with another organisation's form: 
We receive applications submitted on other funders' branded forms more often than you would believe. Sometimes another organisation's logo is still on the page. Sometimes the essay is addressed to a different foundation entirely. Please understand how this reads from our side of the desk. It looks like you could not be bothered to complete our process. Or worse, it looks like you meant to apply somewhere else and sent it to us by mistake. Either way, it does not make us want to invest in you. Apply to each organisation on that organisation's own form, through that organisation's own process. Yes, it takes longer. That is exactly the point.

4. Unprofessional communication:
Applying for a bursary is a professional relationship from the very first email. We understand the anxiety. Waiting for a funding decision when your whole year depends on it is genuinely stressful, and following up is completely reasonable. But rude emails, aggressive phone calls, and messages demanding an immediate answer do land, and they are remembered. Think about it plainly: you are asking an organisation to make a significant financial investment in you over several years. That organisation is trying to assess whether you will represent it well, meet your commitments, and carry yourself professionally in a workplace one day. Every interaction you have with us is part of that assessment, whether we intended it to be or not. Use a professional email address. Check your spelling. Address people by name. Be patient, and when you do follow up, be polite about it.

5. Knowing nothing about the organisation you are asking to fund you:
Before you apply anywhere, go to that organisation's website and read it properly. What do they do? Who do they support and why? What are their values? What is their mission? What kind of graduate are they trying to produce?You would not walk into a job interview knowing nothing about the company. A bursary application is no different, except the stakes are usually higher and the commitment is longer. When an applicant shows genuine interest in who we are and connects their own goals to what we are trying to build, it shows. It shows in the essay, it shows in the motivation, and it separates that application from hundreds of generic ones that could have been sent to anybody. You can start with us at www.tisofoundation.co.za.


Other things worth knowing:

Check the eligibility criteria before you spend hours on the form.
Every funder sets its own. Ours require South African citizenship, an age between 18 and 34, a minimum matric average of 70% or 65% if you are already at university, genuine financial need, and unemployment. If you do not meet the criteria, your time is better spent on an opportunity you do qualify for.

Apply early:
Do not wait for the closing date. Portals get busy, documents fail to upload, load shedding happens, and referees take time to respond. Our 2027undergraduate bursary applications close on 8 October 2026, and that is a hard cut off. Nothing received after that date is considered.

Get your documents right: 
Certified copies, clear scans, correct file formats, sensible file names. If we cannot read your ID or your academic record, we cannot verify it.Ask for your references early and brief your referee properly. Tell them which bursary you are applying for, what it is for, and when you need the letter. A rushed reference reads like a rushed reference.

Apply to more than one bursary:
Apply to us, and apply elsewhere, and apply to NSFAS as well. NSFAS funds South African citizens and permanent residents with a combined household income of up to R350 000 a year, with the threshold set at R600 000 for people living with disabilities. Check the current application window on nsfas.org.za.

Confirm your institution is accredited. The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has warned that some private institutions operate without proper registration, and encourages students and parents to check registration and programme accreditation status with the Department of Higher Education and Training. Funders will not pay for a qualification that is not recognised.

Never pay to apply:
Legitimate bursary providers do not charge application fees. If someone asks you for money to process a bursary application, it is a scam.

Keep a copy of everything you submit: 
Including your essay and your reference numbers. If a query comes back to you, you want to be able to answer it quickly.

Proofread it:
Then have someone else proofread it. A teacher,afamilymember, anyone. Fresh eyes catch what yours cannot.