There are nine scholarships available to South African citizens, all of which are for international postgraduate study. These are:

• Two FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar scholarships for international postgraduate study;
• Three FirstRand Empowerment Foundation scholarships for international postgraduate study;
• FirstRand Oxford African Studies scholarship an MSc in African Studies at the Oxford School of Global and Area studies;
• FirstRand Oxford Blavatnik School of Government scholarship for a Master of Public Policy;
• FirstRand Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment scholarship for an MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment; and
• FirstRand IHE Delft Water Education scholarship for an MSc in Water and Sustainability.

Applications, including all attachments and reference letters, must be completed online and applicants must have applied directly to the university of their choice by the time the application for the scholarship is submitted.

Applicants need to submit the acceptance letter from their university of choice as soon as it is received to firstrandpgscholarship@firstrand.co.za, no later than 11 April 2025.

Applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Decisions of the adjudication panels are final and correspondence regarding their decisions will not be entered into. The panels reserve the right not to make an award.

Applications open Friday 1 November 2024 and close Thursday 20 Feb 2025. No late applications will be accepted.

Criteria

The successful candidates will have excelled academically in their chosen field and will have been able to demonstrate:

• leadership qualities;
• strength of character;
• community involvement; and
• the potential to be a destiny changer in his or her chosen field.

Candidates who are currently, or have been studying overseas for degree purposes, will not be considered for this scholarship.

Successful candidates are required to return to South Africa for at least five years after completing their studies.

Process

Confirmation of each received application will be emailed to the applicant upon receipt of his or her application.

All applications are evaluated by at least three preliminary evaluators from FirstRand, FNB, RMB, and previous winners of the scholarship. A long list of around 45 applicants is then drawn up and interviewed in person in Cape Town or Sandton or electronically on Microsoft Teams.

Up to eight shortlisted candidates are selected for the FirstRand Oxford African Studies scholarship, FirstRand Oxford Blavatnik School of Government scholarship, FirstRand Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment scholarship and the FirstRand IHE Delft Water Education scholarship and should be available for final interviews to be held in Sandton in May 2025.

Up to ten shortlisted candidates are selected for the FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar and FirstRand Empowerment Foundation international postgraduate scholarships and should be available for final interviews to be held in Sandton in May 2025.

A final announcement will be made before the end of May 2025.

Email queries can be sent for attention Giselle Ras at firstrandpgscholarship@firstrand.co.za