Funding higher education in the Kingdom of Eswatini

The government scholarship loan

The government grants repayable scholarship loans to students admitted to a recognised institution. The Scholarship Secretariat, part of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in Mbabane, handles applications, awards and the follow-up of repayments.

SLAS eligibility rules

The scholarship loan covers first degrees and diplomas, with two eligible exceptions: the PGCE and the Honours in psychology. A student who has already received a government scholarship loan is not considered again, whatever the new field of study.

Priority fields for local study

For institutions in the kingdom, the list favours primary teaching, mathematics, science, computing and French, engineering, agriculture, nursing, technical programmes and tourism. Programmes outside this list are funded much less often by the government.

Studying in South Africa

For South Africa and the rest of the continent, priorities include actuarial science, forensic science, engineering specialities, optometry, town planning, speech therapy and medical fields. Applications must be submitted before 31 December preceding the academic year.

Application deadlines

Applications for the University of Eswatini and other local institutions must be submitted before 30 June. For study abroad outside Africa, the deadline depends on the university. The ministry stresses that a complete application does not guarantee an award.

Repaying the SLAS scholarship loan

The scholarship loan is repayable after studies, under the terms published in the repayment section of the SLAS portal. Amounts and payment methods should be checked with the secretariat, as they weigh on a young graduate's budget.

Bank loans taken out by parents

Bank products designed specifically for students remain rare in the kingdom. The usual solution is for an employed parent to take a personal loan repaid by salary deduction, to cover registration, accommodation or a computer.

Secondary school costs and school loans

Before university, secondary school costs weigh on families; they are covered under the school loan in Eswatini. Good results at the end of secondary school then make admission and the scholarship loan application easier.

Accommodation and student living costs

Students at the Kwaluseni, Luyengo or Mbabane campuses must pay for accommodation, transport and meals. Depending on the agreement signed, the scholarship loan may cover some related costs, but family support or a part-time job is often still needed.

Private bursaries and consortiums

Companies, foundations and bursary consortiums complement public funding, particularly in technical fields. These bursaries may require the graduate to work for the sponsor after studies, a clause to read carefully before signing.

The situation in Lesotho

Lesotho also runs a public scholarship loan system, described under the student loan in Lesotho. Both kingdoms send many students to South African universities, with fees paid in rand, a currency at par with the lilangeni and the loti.

General credit benchmarks

For a parent who borrows, the legal cap and the role of the credit bureaus are summarised on the credit in Eswatini page. A debt taken on for studies must remain compatible with the household's other salary deductions.

Applying for the Swazi government scholarship loan

1. Obtain an original admission letter from a recognised institution in a field on the priority list.
2. Gather certified copies of the birth certificate, school certificates and identity card or PIN.
3. Attach a recent passport photo and the Graded Tax Certificate required by the Scholarship Secretariat.
4. Apply through SLAS before 30 June for a local institution or 31 December for South Africa.
5. Follow the decision, then sign the scholarship loan agreement setting out the repayment obligations.

Paying for studies: benchmarks in emalangeni

SLAS application documents in Eswatini

• Certified copy of the birth certificate
• Certified copies of school certificates and transcripts
• Certified copy of the identity card or PIN
• Recent passport photo
• Original admission letter from the university
• Graded Tax Certificate

Mistakes that cost students the Swazi scholarship loan

• Applying after 30 June for a local institution, hoping the late file will still be considered.
• Choosing a field missing from the priority list and counting on an exception that is rarely granted.
• Submitting uncertified copies of certificates or forgetting to attach the Graded Tax Certificate.
• Paying a middleman who claims to guarantee a government bursary in exchange for a commission sent by mobile money.
• Ignoring repayment obligations after getting a job, which leaves a debt outstanding to the government.

Lenders to contact

• Nedbank Eswatini: Eswatini subsidiary of the Nedbank group, a commercial bank offering banking services and financing solutions to individuals and businesses.
• Standard Bank Eswatini: Eswatini commercial bank offering urban and rural home loans as well as unsecured personal loans to individual customers.

Scholarship loans and study: questions from Swazi families