Widening access to quality education
STADIO Kusasa Foundation (s18A Bursary Trust)
The STADIO Kusasa Foundation (“Kusasa”), was established by STADIO Holdings, with the main purpose of providing scholarships, bursaries and awards for Black South African students (with an emphasis on female students and disabled students) to study at any registered higher education institution within the STADIO Group, being STADIO Higher Education, AFDA and Milpark Education.
Kusasa was registered in 2020 and is a non-profit organisation that is registered for s18a tax rebates, making any donations to Kusasa, tax deductible in the hands of the donor.
Our reason to exist
Education plays a critical role in the development of any society, and the STADIO Group’s vision is to widen access to quality education for more learners. This is directly aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015. These SDGs are 17 objectives aimed to assist in tackling the global challenges faced by the world, to ultimately improve human society, ecological sustainability and the quality of life, by 2030. The STADIO Group believes that widening access to Quality Education (SDG 4) is inextricably linked to the achievement of all other SDGs.
In South Africa, the need for higher education is dire and the demand continues to outweigh the supply, with affordability and access being fundamental barriers. In 2021, 440 702 grade 12s qualified to enter university, however, the public universities only had places for 171 341 first years. This meant that 269 362 eligible matrics could not access public universities.
Furthermore, private higher education institutions in South Africa do not receive any funding from government, and students choosing to study at a private higher education institution no not qualify for any funding from the government either (e. g. NSFAS). Therefore students who cannot afford to study with institutions within the STADIO Group, are reliant on donations, sponsorships, and other forms of financial assistance in order to study.
Your donation
Your full donation will be used to fund students studying within the STADIO Group. There is no administration fee and all costs associated with the running of Kusasa are borne by the STADIO Group.
A Bursary Approval Committee allocates the funds to students / applicants based on set criteria.
A successful bursary awardee must perform academically to the satisfaction of the Approval Committee and meet all performance requirements for the registered qualification and institution. Failure to do so will automatically disqualify the student from being considered for any future bursaries managed by Kusasa
Benefits to the donor
Kusasa is a registered non-profit organisation. Any donations will receive a s18a tax certificate and you can apply for a s18a tax rebate.
In addition, the Amended B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice introduced the spend on bursaries for black students at higher education institutions as a new element within Skills Development.
The above benefits are on and above the benefit of knowing you are likely contributing to changing an individual’s life by providing them with access to quality education and a hope for a better future for themselves, their family and the country as a whole.
Eligibility Requirements
A Bursary Approval Committee allocates the funds to students / applicants based on the below set criteria:
- The scholarships, bursaries and awards will be based on academic merit, financial need, and/or such other reasonable requirements imposed by donors.
- The scholarships, bursaries and awards will only be available to students who are: Black, as defined by the B-BBEE Act; and
- Students that are South African citizens.
Noting the above criteria, the below guiding principles are applied:
Support for disadvantaged students
- Bursary awards must be made with an express view to assisting disadvantaged, as well as previously disadvantaged, students enter higher education.
Support for women
- Bursary awards must be made with an express view to assisting women enter the domain of higher education, with emphasis on opening access to postgraduate study opportunities.
Support for students with disabilities
- Bursary awards must be made with an express view to assisting students with disability enter and succeed in higher education.
Donor agreed expectations and criteria
- Available bursaries must be used effectively and efficiently in line with donor criteria. Where no such criteria exist, the general criteria based on academic merit and financial need will be applied.
Thank you for considering the STADIO Kusasa Foundation. Kusasa is committed to awarding bursaries in a fair and impartial manner in accordance with the Trust Deed, to enable more individuals to access quality higher education. Your contribution to Kusasa, our bursary trust will go a long way in providing financial assistance to well deserving students who are facing financial challenges and who would otherwise not be able to afford their studies. We believe that your contribution will not only benefit the student but can make a meaningful contribution to South Africa’s development and future as a whole.