Soft drinks giant opens bursary programme
For the 2024 academic year, the fund will pay the tuition and accommodation fees of deserving students.
Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) has opened the application process to matric students and first-time university applicants across the country for its Study Buddy Fund bursary programme for the 2024 academic year.
The fund will pay the tuition and accommodation fees of deserving students.
The Study Buddy Fund comprises four programme pillars such as the Host Community Bursary Programme that provides scholarship support to academically strong students from indigent backgrounds who meet entry requirements for access to universities.
It covers fees such as registration, tuition, accommodation, meal allowances and textbooks.
The fund also consists of the University Partnership which provides funding to students already at university but who do not have bursaries and/or National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding and are often regarded as the ‘missing middle’.
CCBSA also has the TVET College Support that targets young people in CCBSA host communities who did not meet university entrance requirements.
The scholarship support focuses on technical skills development, specifically geared towards the CCBSA value chain including electrical or mechanical engineering.
CCBSA public affairs, communication and sustainability director, Nozicelo Ngcobo said the fund forms part of their economic inclusion commitments to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and is focused on enhancing young people’s prospects of finding sustainable employment once they finish studying.
She said investment in education plays a critical role in improving future educational and employability prospects for youth while ensuring sustainable economic growth for the country.
Ngcobo said: “We are operating in a rapidly changing environment where increasingly, a good education, coupled with the acquisition of relevant and critical skills and a resilient and teachable spirit will set you apart. At CCBSA, we believe that companies which grow their businesses the right way and are invested in and support the communities where they operate, help create inclusive and sustainable growth opportunities, that will help shape better- future outcomes for our young people.”
She added that the fund provides financial and holistic support to indigent students who meet entry requirements for access to higher education institutions.
Ngcobo said the application requirements include passing Grade 12 with a bachelor’s admission and an acceptance from a South African university.
“Residing in one of the host communities will be advantageous. They must be in Grade 12 in the recruiting year or applying for first year in university and must not be affiliated with Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa or its affiliates. They must have applied to an accredited South African tertiary institution and meet all criteria above. Applications for the 2024 Study Buddy Fund bursary close on January 31, 2024. Please email studybuddyfund@gradesmatch.co.za for further information,” said Ngcoobo.
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