Website FirstRand Empowerment Foundation
The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (FREF) was established in 2005 as part of FirstRand Limited’s broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) transaction FREF was established as a vehicle through which the founder (FirstRand Limited), in partnership with its empowerment partners (Kagiso Charitable Trust, The WDB Trust, WDB Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd, the Mineworkers Investment Trust and MIC Financial Holdings (Pty) Ltd) could aim to address inequality in society. The B-BBEE transaction vested in 2014, following which FREF has a significant unencumbered endowment of FirstRand shares. FREF’s objective is to reduce poverty and inequality by undertaking and/or supporting public benefit activities that result in B-BBEE. The majority of trustees are black persons as defined in the Financial Sector Charter.
The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation is proud to offer bursaries for students pursuing undergraduate degrees in critical skills fields. This bursary program seeks to support academic excellence and empower Black South African students in various disciplines.
Eligible Fields of Study
Undergraduate students are invited to apply for bursaries in the following areas:
- Agricultural Sciences: All specialisations
- Arts: Psychology
- Commercial Sciences: Accounting, Actuarial Science, Economics, Financial Management
- Engineering: All specialisations
- Environmental Sciences: Climate Sciences, Renewable Energy
- Information Sciences: Business Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Information Management, Information Technology
- Mathematical Sciences: Mathematics, Risk, Statistics
- Natural Sciences: Biosciences, Electronics, Physics
- Social Sciences and Law: Society and Sustainability, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Law
What the Bursary Covers
The bursary is comprehensive, covering:
- Tuition fees
- Learning resources
- Computer (for first-year students)
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Monthly stipend
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Be a South African citizen.
- Identify as Black (per the BBBEE Act).
- Be under 21 years old in the first year of study.
- Currently be in Matric or have completed Matric within the last three years.
- Achieved at least level 5 in Mathematics in Matric.
- Have a strong academic record.
- Intend to pursue full-time undergraduate studies in one of the eligible fields in 2025.
- Have applied and been provisionally admitted to a public South African university for 2025.
- Have a combined family income of no more than R600,000 per annum.
Application Process
Steps to Apply
Applications must be completed online via the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Bursary Application 2025.
Applicants must read the Study Trust Bursary Applications Page before applying.
Supporting Documents
Submit clear copies of the following documents with your application:
- A head-and-shoulders photograph
- Certified copy of your South African ID
- Grade 11 final results and Matric June results (if currently in Matric)
- Matric certificate (if completed Matric)
- Proof of university acceptance or provisional acceptance for 2025
- Proof of household income (e.g., payslips, affidavit if unemployed, or SASSA letter)
- Death certificates of parents (if applicable)
- Court letter or affidavit for child support details (if applicable)
To apply for this job please visit studytrust.devman.co.za.
