Updated October 2026. Use the current provider’s instructions for decisions about an application or award.
‘Fully funded’ and ‘partial scholarship’ are useful starting labels, but they are not a complete budget. An award can cover substantial costs and still leave an expense outside its scope. Compare offers by the expenses they actually meet and the period they cover, rather than by the biggest number in an advertisement.
Build the cost side independently
Start with the institution’s published fees and the expenses relevant to your living arrangement and course. Identify which figures are confirmed and which are estimates. Use a consistent currency and academic period; comparing a monthly allowance with a full programme’s fees can create a misleading result.
Consider tuition, accommodation, meals, required materials and any travel or administrative expenses that apply to you. Avoid adding a benefit just because another award includes it. Ask the institution which charges are compulsory and whether the published amount covers the complete period you intend to study.
Use a transparent example
The following figures are hypothetical annual amounts in South African rand. They are not an institution’s fees or a live scholarship offer.
| Illustrative expense | Annual amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | R65,000 |
| Accommodation and daily living | R40,000 |
| Travel and required administration | R4,000 |
| Study materials | R3,000 |
| Total | R112,000 |
Suppose a hypothetical award contributes R90,000 towards eligible costs. The simple difference is R22,000. That calculation is only a starting point: if the award excludes travel or caps accommodation separately, you must also check whether its full advertised value can be used against your actual expenses.
Map each benefit to an expense
Create a second table with a column for the provider’s contribution against each cost. State any cap, exclusion or condition. Do not count an allowance twice simply because it could be used for more than one purpose. An amount paid directly towards fees is not also available for daily living.
The official Cambridge Trust funding search distinguishes full-cost and part-cost awards and applies award-specific eligibility. Use the exact entry for an award you are considering, then check its written terms.
Compare timing as well as totals
An annual funding package may not arrive before every expense falls due. Identify deposits, early travel costs and registration-related payments. Ask when support is expected to begin and what documents trigger payment. Do not turn an unconfirmed estimate into money available on a particular date.
Where an institution publishes fee deadlines, use those rules for that institution and year. UCT’s payment and rebate guidance is an example of why the fee calendar needs its own check; it is not a universal payment timetable.
Include uncertainty explicitly
Mark a cost as unknown if you cannot establish it. Record the question and the office that can answer it. For expenses estimated in another currency, recognise that a change in the conversion rate can alter the amount you need. Do not present a single conversion as a guaranteed future price.
Make a second version of the budget with a reasonable higher-cost assumption for uncertain items. This is a planning exercise, not a forecast. Its purpose is to show which part of your decision depends on assumptions rather than confirmed terms.
Check whether awards may be combined
Two offers cannot automatically be added together. Read each provider’s rules about other funding and disclosure. Ask for clarification before assuming one award can fill every gap left by another. Be accurate when the application asks about support you already hold.
Similarly, do not plan to bridge a gap with employment that is neither secured nor permitted under your circumstances. A speculative income source should be labelled as uncertain rather than used to make a budget appear balanced.
Make the comparison useful
For each option, keep a one-page summary: total cost, confirmed contribution, uncovered expenses, payment timing and unresolved questions. Compare academic suitability alongside affordability. The largest award is not automatically the best course or the most manageable arrangement.
The useful outcome is a decision based on stated benefits and realistic obligations. If the remaining costs cannot be met, ask the institution about legitimate alternatives before making commitments. A scholarship label alone is not a substitute for a workable funding plan.
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