Editor LauraThe University of South Africa is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the country. It has grown over its hundred-year history to become a leading research university with a focus on economics, science, law and education. However, like any other tertiary institution in South Africa; getting accepted can be expensive!
Fortunately there are ways around this by using UNISA Scholarships or applying for Financial Aid. But before we talk about how much it costs to apply for an undergraduate degree at UNISA as an international student; let’s first take a look at what your options are if you’re from SA:
How Much Is The Application Fee At UNISA?
The application fee is determined by whether you are a South African citizen or an international student. If you’re an international student, your application fee will be R2000 – R3000. This means that if you come from abroad and want to study at UNISA, it would cost around R8 000 per year (R5 500 for full-time).
If you are from South Africa and apply for admission as a full-time undergraduate student, then the application fees are different too; however they are still very expensive compared to other universities in South Africa. For example:
- Full-time Bachelor programmes: R105
- Part-time Bachelor programmes: R150
For South Africans to study at UNISA, the application fee is R105. This includes all fees and charges associated with each semester of your studies. The application process can be completed online or by post.
The application fee has to be paid before you can apply for admission into a course at UNISA or other educational institutions in South Africa.
The application fee is an essential part of your application. Without paying it, you will not be able to complete your course at UNISA and register for your course.
The only way to pay this fee is by EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer)
The only way to pay this fee is by EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer). EFT is a secure way of paying online, and it’s the only option for paying these fees. If you don’t have access to an Internet banking or mobile phone network, then you can still pay your fees by post. You can find out more about how to do this here: https://www.unisa.ac.za/education-fees-and-charges
If you are an international student, the cost of applying at UNISA will differ slightly.
The cost of applying for an international student is different to the cost of applying for a South African student.
The application fee for international students is a one-time fee that does not need to be paid again, but it’s not refundable. This means that if you don’t get accepted into your course of choice or change your mind and decide not to enroll at UNISA, then there will be no refund on any money spent during the application process.
You can pay by bank transfer (EFT) or credit card and must provide proof of identification when paying online via EFT or credit card.
For example, if you come from a country that has signed a higher education treaty with South Africa; applying will be free of charge. These countries include Brazil, China and Thailand.
If you are not one of these countries, then your application fee will be R200 per year (inclusive of VAT). The remaining amount will depend on the number of years that you want to study at UNISA.
If you are not from one of those countries, you will still have to pay in order to apply at UNISA. This can range anywhere between R2000 – R3000 depending on your nationality and the qualification level of your course. (more details on how much it costs can be found here)
If we look at the cost comparison between other South African universities, it becomes clear that UNISA is not as competitive when compared to other universities in our country. However, this does not mean that there are no benefits or advantages to applying with them because they do have some advantages over other institutions such as:
- They offer free laptops for students who enroll into their bachelor’s degree programmes;
- Their application process has been streamlined so that students don’t have to go through long queues during office hours;
- They offer free transport from Johannesburg International Airport ( among others ).
UNISA has more affordable options for South Africans
UNISA is a highly competitive university, and it’s important to know that the application fee will not be refunded. The cost is R105 for South Africans, R2000 – R3000 for international students. This fee covers your application form and all other documents required by UNISA to process your application successfully.
In order to apply online at UNISA you have to pay an online payment system called e-transfers (Electronic Transfer) in which you can use your credit or debit card details on their website as long as they are linked with an existing bank account that has been registered with them before. The procedure takes about 24 hours before being processed so don’t panic if there is no email from us during this time period!
The applicants should note that they must provide proof of identity such as passport number; driver license numbers; birth certificates etc., all these documents must be attached together with their original signatures before submitting it into our system after completing payment process through our payment gateway which takes between 48 hours up until 3 working days depending on availability within our site infrastructure system itself
Closing
We hope that this article has been helpful for you. Remember that there is no point worrying about how much the application fee at UNISA will cost you; because in reality, it depends on your nationality, and what qualifications level your course is at. The best thing to do when paying this fee would be to take care of it straight away when starting your application process. This way, there will be no further delays in processing time due to missing documents or other administrative issues!