the process

Hope. Help. Hand-in-Hand.

Selection

Our students are selected based on a variety of factors, and always with our overarching aim in mind - to assist South Africa's future leaders in taking their first steps towards their future. Whilst a track record of academic achievement is foundational, we also look for students who have had to overcome particular difficulties or adversity in their lives, and have achieved academically in spite of these circumstances. Beyond the academic sphere, we assess each student's attitude to life and studying, their ambitions, their drive, and their leadership potential.

A student who meets our criteria for all of the above must finally be able to demonstrate that they are unable or would find it challenging to attend university, primarily due to an inability to access sufficient financing for their fees and related study costs. To this end, we explore the options that they have already attempted to avail themselves of, as well as look at potential options that they have not yet investigated. Should a student satisfy all of our criteria described above, we accept them as a Foundation candidate, eligible for funding from our donors.

Candidate Listing

Upon successful completion of the selection process, we work with each candidate to develop a personalised annual budget, and determine the maximum expected shortfall that they will need assistance with for the coming twelve months. Each candidate is profiled on our website for the duration of their candidacy, detailing their individual story, dreams and ambitions, institution and course of study, and of course the financial amount they are requesting in total for the period together with the progress towards that goal.

Ongoing Support

We believe that finance provides access to higher education, but does not necessarily guarantee success.  We want our candidates to have the best opportunity to focus on their success possible, and to this end, we provide ongoing support to our candidates beyond simply paying for their expenses.

Our candidates have all demonstrated an ability to overcome challenges that many of their peers have never had to face; however, the transition from secondary to tertiary education has derailed many promising students before. We acknowledge this, and endeavour to make non-financial resources available to our candidates as well. Whether they're dealing with societal, cultural or family pressures, we work with them to ensure that they are able to dedicate the time and energy to their future success that they need to.

Accountability

We require our students to remain accountable for the outcomes of the assistance they receive from the Foundation and its donors. Practically, this means that together with our candidates we are continuously reviewing multiple factors such as academic performance and personal circumstances to ensure that each candidate is also doing what they can to maximise their chances of success, and not simply relying on a hand-out.

In order to make the most of our funding, we request that our students attempt to contribute to their expenses through part-time work. We also encourage our students to involve themselves with a social cause through volunteer work.

All of our students are assigned a mentor, with whom they remain in regular contact for the duration of their candidacy with the Foundation.