Unisa Help: Applications, Registration, Fees and NSFAS

This section of BursariesAfrica helps you study at the University of South Africa (Unisa), the country’s distance-learning university: choosing a qualification, applying, registering, paying fees and getting NSFAS funding. We are an independent guide, not Unisa. Apply and pay only through unisa.ac.za, and never pay an agent to secure a place.

What do you need help with?

• I want to apply for 2027. Undergraduate applications close on 9 October 2026. Start with how to apply online and the admission requirements.
• I applied and I am waiting. Outcomes come four to six weeks after applications close. See how to track your application.
• I received an offer. Accept it within 10 working days. See how to accept your offer.
• My marks are low. Several higher certificates accept APS 14 or 15. See courses with 15 APS and options without matric.
• I cannot log in. See how to log in to myUnisa and how to claim your student number.
• I need money to study. See what NSFAS pays Unisa students and Unisa bursaries.

Key dates for 2027

How to get into Unisa, step by step

1. Choose up to three qualifications and rank them. Check the admission requirements and APS for each.
2. Apply online before the closing date and pay the R160 application fee if you are applying to Unisa for the first time.
3. Upload your documents by the closing date: your school results, ID and any tertiary records, as PDF or similar files of no more than 2MB each.
4. Complete the free First-Year Experience course if you are a first-time applicant. Unisa requires it before you can accept an offer.
5. Accept your offer within 10 working days. You can accept only one offer.
6. Register and pay the minimum payment in the registration period. Unisa does not accept late registrations for any reason.

Unisa places are limited by an enrolment plan agreed with the Department of Higher Education and Training, so meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee a place. See how hard it is to get in.

What you can study

Qualification	Credits	NQF level	Minimum time at a full load
Higher certificate	120	5	One year
Diploma	240 or 360	6	Two or three years
Advanced diploma	120	7	One year, after a diploma
Bachelor’s degree	360 or 480	7 or 8	Three or four years
Honours or postgraduate diploma	120 or more	8	One year or longer

Unisa has no NQF Level 4 courses and no one-year diplomas. See the list of Unisa courses, higher certificates and what comes after a higher certificate.

Fees and funding

• 2026 tuition examples: a typical business or social sciences module cost R2,240, with a minimum payment of R740 at registration. Unisa has not published 2027 fees. Estimate yours with Unisa’s fee quotation tool, and see Unisa fees.
• NSFAS: distance students get a learning material allowance, and a personal care allowance with a full load. Unisa students do not get living, meal, transport or accommodation allowances. See how to check your allowance.
• Missing middle: households earning R350,001 to R600,000 can apply for the NSFAS Student Loan.
• Bursaries: Unisa invites students with a 75% average for its merit bursary, and postgraduate bursary applications run from 21 September to 30 November 2026.

Studying at Unisa

• You study online through myUnisa, and Unisa contacts you only through your myLife email address.
• The normal maximum load is 60 credits a semester or 120 credits a year, which is about ten modules a year.
• The pass mark is 50%, with a 40% sub-minimum in the exam. Exams may be online or oral, and some use proctoring software.
• If you fail, you usually get a supplementary exam. See the pass mark and reapplying for a failed module.

Guides by topic

Applying

• How to apply online
• Applying as a returning student
• Paying the application fee
• Honours applications
• What to do if Unisa rejects you

Registration and payments

• How to register
• Second semester registration
• The minimum payment
• Paying by EFT
• Claiming a refund

Courses and requirements

• NQF Level 5 courses
• Upgrading a diploma to a degree
• Points needed for teaching
• Applying for the LLB
• Engineering courses

myUnisa, assignments and exams

• Setting up myLife
• When you cannot access your modules
• The exam portal
• Missing your first assignment

Contacting Unisa

Channel	Details
Toll-free call centre	0800 00 1870 (Monday to Friday 08:00 to 19:00, Saturday 08:00 to 14:00)
General enquiries	enquire@unisa.ac.za
Undergraduate applications and registration	study-info@unisa.ac.za
Exams	examenquiries@unisa.ac.za
Student accounts	finan@unisa.ac.za
NSFAS queries at Unisa	dsf-nsfas@unisa.ac.za

More contacts, including regional centres: who to contact at Unisa.

Frequently asked questions