Financial Arrangements for Semester Exchanges
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Students may qualify for the following benefits if they are accepted as exchange students at a partner university:
A tuition waiver at the host university;
Depending on the institutional agreement between Stellenbosch University and the respective partner institution, students can qualify for additional financial support from the host university (for example a monthly stipend or a housing scholarship). This information is available on request.
Accepted students may qualify for the following financial support from Stellenbosch University International (SU International):
Exchange bursary which can be used to pay for flight expenses and other administrative costs.
It is, however, important to note that the awarding of bursaries is based on a separate selection process. This means that a successful exchange placement does not necessarily imply that you will receive an exchange bursary.
The following exchange bursaries are applicable for 2023/2024:
Exchange Bursary 1* R 25 630
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*Applicable to students who receive additional benefits from partner universities, for example a housing scholarship, but also country or region specific scholarships (for example Transition Scholarships or Erasmus + Scholarships). |
Exchange Bursary 2** R 29 150 |
**Applicable to students who receive no additional benefits from partner universities |
Exchange Bursary 3*** R 34 980
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***Applicable to students who have been accepted as an exchange student at a preferential partner university, for example KU Leuven. |
Erasmus + Grantees:
If you are receiving a travel allowance with your Erasmus + grant, you will not qualify for an exchange bursary from Stellenbosch University International.
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Please note: Only one exchange bursary can be awarded to a student and it is also dependent on the availability of funds. General conditions and requirements apply. The allocation of bursary amounts is determined by SU International.
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Important
Our focus is on co-funding, not full funding.
Stellenbosch University and its partner universities are committed to limiting the financial costs incurred by students who participate in exchanges. For this reason, travel bursaries, tuition waivers and other benefits (where applicable and possible) are provided and negotiated. It is however important to note that students will also need to make a financial contribution towards their own respective study trip. In many cases it is only to cover living expenses, extra travel expenses, administrative costs and to comply with visa requirements.
It is also important that you discuss your decision with your parents, guardians or financial benefactors. Be open about your financial situation with SU International, so that we can guide you to the best of our ability.
Some other things to think about:
Bridging Funding: Exchange students should be mindful that scholarships from the host universities might not pay out immediately on arrival. For that reason, it is a suggested to have bridging funding in place, which a student can fall back on in case a scholarship is not paid out on arrival.
Start-up Funds: There are initial administrative costs (for example visa costs etc.), which are not necessarily covered by the exchange bursary, or the scholarship provided by the host university.