Prospective Students

This year (2025) we are supporting 176 students studying 14 different health science disciplines - 119 or 68% of the students are studying medicine! This year, we selected 35 new students who come from the Umkhanyakude, Zululand and King Cetshwayo districts of KwaZulu-Natal.

To be eligible for UYDF top-up support all students must have applied and received a National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) bursary.

Student Selection Criteria

For youth to be eligible for consideration for a scholarship, they must:

  • Be from the Umkhanyakude, Zululand, or King Cetshwayo districts in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, or live close to St Patricks Hospital (Bizana) or Zithulele Hospital (Hole in the Wall) in the Eastern Cape
  • Be in Grade 12 at a Quintile 1 to 3, non-fee-paying rural school, or have matriculated from a Quintile 1-3 school in one of the above Districts
  • Have been accepted to study an approved health science degree at a public South African university (excluding UNISA)
  • Have obtained NSFAS financial support (UYDF will top-up the NSFAS allowances as well as provide mentoring support)
  • Have completed at least one week's worth of volunteer work at their local hospital
  • Be willing to work in the public sector in a rural or underserved area upon graduation
  • Be studying towards their first degree

Once students have been accepted into the programme, they receive top-up funding to complement their NSFAS bursary and to cover costs not included in the NSFAS bursary, as well as academic and social mentoring support. Our mentoring support has enabled hundreds of rural students to successfully navigate higher education and graduate. Here are the website details of 21 academic institutions that will provide information about the university application process. Below is a valuable resource providing details of different health science disciplines. 

Here is the 2026 advert and link to the online application form.

Health Science Disciplines

Click on the career for job descriptions, salary statistics, education and training information and job opportunities:

Dentistry

The job requires the treatment of ailments and diseases of the mouth and teeth to prevent their occurrence or recurrence.
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Environmental Health

The theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling and preventing those factors in the environment that can adversely affect the health of present and future generations.
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Nursing

The activities of a nurse include curative, preventative and rehabilitative healthcare for individuals, families and communities.
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Occupational Therapy

Assists the physically disabled, mentally disturbed, and children with developmental or learning disabilities to function independently in everyday life.
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Optometry

Optometrists are primary healthcare specialists trained to examine the eyes for defects in sight, ocular diseases or abnormal conditions.
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Oral Hygiene

The practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental problems and bad breath.
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Pharmacy

Pharmacists manufacture, prepare and supply suitable and safe medical products for the prevention/ alleviation or cure of illness in human beings.
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Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists test and measure the function of the musculoskeletal, pulmonary, neurological and cardiovascular systems of patients.
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Radiography

Radiographers take X-rays and apply radioactive substances to specific parts of the patients’ bodies for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
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Social Work

Social workers work with individuals, families, groups and communities to facilitate health and well-being.
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