ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER – FIRSTRAND
FirstRand Limited was formed in 1998 as a South African financial services provider, whose products include lending, investments, asset management, insurance and transactional services. Licensed by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), and headquartered in Johannesburg, FirstRand currently employs over 40 000 staff members.
The FirstRand group was established by a merger between Anglo American Corporation of South Africa Limited (Anglo American plc) and RMB Holdings.
ABOUT THE FIRSTRAND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMMES – FIELDS COVERED
FirstRand is inviting students to apply for their International Postgraduate scholarship programmes, for the 2025 academic year.
FirstRand is offering 6 types of scholarship awards:
1) FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar Scholarship: is for postgraduate studies in ANY field of study, at ANY international university. 2 scholarships will be awarded.
2) FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Scholarship: is for previously disadvantaged students, for postgraduate studies in ANY field of study, at ANY international university. 3 scholarships will be awarded.
3) FirstRand Oxford African Studies scholarship at the University of Oxford: is for a postgraduate MSc in African Studies, at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. 1 scholarship will be awarded.
4) FirstRand Oxford Blavatnik School of Government scholarship at the University of Oxford: is for a postgraduate Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. 1 scholarship will be awarded.
5) FirstRand Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment scholarship at the University of Oxford: is for a postgraduate MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment Studies, at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. 1 scholarship will be awarded.
6) FirstRand IHE Delft Water Education scholarship at IHE Delft: is for a postgraduate MSc in Water and Sustainable Development at IHE Delft, in the Netherlands. 1 scholarship will be awarded.
- FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar Scholarship: up to a maximum value of R1.5 million for Masters degree and R2 million for PhD studies.
- FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Scholarship: up to a maximum value of R1.5 million for Masters degree and R2 million for PhD studies.
- FirstRand Oxford African Studies scholarship at the University of Oxford: full funding for 1 year of study and housing at Wadham College.
- FirstRand Oxford Blavatnik School of Government scholarship at the University of Oxford: full funding for 1 year of study and housing at Wadham College.
- FirstRand Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment scholarship at the University of Oxford: full funding for 1 year of study and housing at Wadham College.
- FirstRand IHE Delft Water Education scholarship at IHE Delft: full funding for 1 year of study.
Please download and read the FirstRand international postgraduate scholarship presentation (.pdf)
MORE ABOUT THE FIRSTRAND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMMES – SELECTION
The selection process will include the following steps:
- All applicants will receive confirmation of receipt of their application (via email).
- Applications will be evaluated by at least three preliminary evaluators from FirstRand, FNB, RMB, and previous winners of the scholarship. Approximately 45 applicants are then selected to be interviewed in person in Cape Town or Sandton or electronically on Microsoft Teams.
- A maximum of 8 shortlisted candidates are selected for the FirstRand Oxford African Studies scholarship, FirstRand Oxford Blavatnik School of Government scholarship, FirstRand Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment scholarship and the FirstRand IHE Delft Water Education scholarship. These shortlisted candidates will be invited to the final interview, in Sandton in May 2025.
- A maximum of 10 shortlisted candidates are selected for the FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar and FirstRand Empowerment Foundation international postgraduate scholarships. These shortlisted candidates will be invited to the final interview, in Sandton in May 2025.
- The final announcement will be made before the end of May 2025.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRSTRAND SCHOLARSHIPS
Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):
1) FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar Scholarship:
- You must be a South African citizen
- You must intend on studying towards a postgraduate qualification, in ANY field of study
- You must have applied to study at any international university outside of South Africa
- You must NOT currently or previously have studied overseas
- You must be willing to return to South Africa for a minimum of 5 years after completing your qualification
- You must have an excellent academic record
- Must demonstrate the following qualities: leadership skills; strong character; community involvement; and potential to be a destiny changer your chosen field
- Preference will be given to students under 35 years old
2) FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Scholarship:
- You must be a South African citizen
- You must be from a previously disadvantaged background
- You must intend on studying towards a postgraduate qualification, in ANY field of study
- You must have applied to study at any international university outside of South Africa
- You must NOT currently or previously have studied overseas
- You must be willing to return to South Africa for a minimum of 5 years after completing your qualification
- You must demonstrate the following qualities: leadership skills; strong character; community involvement; and potential to be a destiny changer your chosen field
- Preference will be given to students under 35 years old
3) FirstRand Oxford African Studies scholarship at the University of Oxford:
- You must be a South African citizen
- You must have been accepted to study towards a MSc in African Studies at the University of Oxford (read more about the MSc in African Studies qualification here) (applications close of 28 January 2025, 12:00 UK time for this study programme)
- You must have an excellent academic record
- You must demonstrate the following qualities: leadership skills; community involvement; and potential to be a destiny changer your chosen field
- You must contribute to South Africa after completing studies and returning to the country
4) FirstRand Oxford Blavatnik School of Government scholarship at the University of Oxford:
- You must be a South African citizen
- You must have been accepted to study towards a Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford (read more about the Master of Public Policy qualification here) (applications close of 9 January 2025, 12:00 UK time for this study programme)
- You must wish to deepen your understanding of public policy challenges in order to become a more effective leader and changemaker
- You must have an excellent academic record
- You must demonstrate the following qualities: leadership skills; community involvement; and potential to be a destiny changer your chosen field
- You must contribute to South Africa after completing studies and returning to the country
5) FirstRand Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment scholarship at the University of Oxford:
- You must be a South African citizen
- You must have been accepted to study towards a MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford (read more about the MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment qualification here) (applications close of 28 January 2025, 12:00 UK time for this study programme)
- You must wish to deepen your understanding of public policy challenges in order to become a more effective leader and changemaker
- You must have an excellent academic record
- You must demonstrate the following qualities: leadership skills; community involvement; and potential to be a destiny changer your chosen field
- You must contribute to South Africa after completing studies and returning to the country
6) FirstRand IHE Delft Water Education scholarship at IHE Delft:
- You must be a South African citizen
- You must have been accepted to study towards a MSc in Water and Sustainable Development at IHE Delft in any of these 4 thematic tracks: water, food and energy / water hazards, risks and climate / water and health / water resources and ecosystem health (read more about the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development qualification here)
- You must have an excellent academic record
- You must demonstrate the following qualities: leadership skills; community involvement; and potential to be a destiny changer your chosen field
- You must contribute to South Africa after completing studies and returning to the country
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE FIRSTRAND SCHOLARSHIP
Applications must be submitted online at: FirstRand Scholarship Application 2025
Applicants will be required to Register an Account before they can Login and apply.
Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your completed application form (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):
- Minimum of 2 references (If you attended university less than 6 years ago, at least 1 must be from an academic. If you have been working for the past 6 or more years, 1 does not have to be from an academic.) (You may attach the references letter to your application or the referees may email it to firstrandpgscholarship@firstrand.co.za and clearly mark it as your reference, before the closing date).
Note: university acceptance letters must be submitted as soon as they are received (no later than 11 April 2025), to firstrandpgscholarship@firstrand.co.za
CLOSING DATE FOR THE FIRSTRAND SCHOLARSHIP
20 February 2025.
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)
CONTACT THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER
For any queries related to these scholarship programmes, please contact FirstRand directly:
Contact Person: Giselle Ras
Email: firstrandpgscholarship@firstrand.co.za
