BURSARY OFFICER: REGISTRATION REF NO: BUR/01/09/2026 (Permanent, PERSAL appointment)

This position offers an opportunity to serve as the Bursary Officer for Registration at the Central Office of a TVET college in King William’s Town, operating within the broader financial aid and student support environment. The role is a permanent, PERSAL appointment graded at a senior administrative level, and it carries significant responsibility for the overall supervision and coordination of student bursary schemes and financial aid administrative support services across the entire college. Working within the registration and financial management unit, the officer ensures that all bursary and financial aid processes align with the guidelines set by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), funder memoranda of understanding, service level agreements, and institutional policies. The position is central to maintaining the integrity of student funding, from application through to disbursement and reconciliation.

Candidates must hold a Grade 12 certificate plus a recognised three-year National Diploma or Degree at NQF Level 6 in Financial Management, Accounting, or an equivalent qualification. A minimum of three to five years of working experience in a financial aid, bursary administration, or general financial management environment within the TVET sector is required. Thorough knowledge of TVET college bursary guidelines, NSFAS regulations, public service financial legislation, procedures, and Treasury Regulations such as the PFMA is essential. Strong computer literacy is expected, particularly in MS Excel and student management systems such as ITS or Coltech, along with the ability to capture data, operate computers, and collate financial statistics. Applicants should also demonstrate good verbal and written communication, basic numeracy skills, accuracy with figures, interpersonal skills, flexibility, and the ability to perform routine tasks and operate office equipment. A valid driver’s licence is an added advantage.

The duties are broad and include supervising and authorising the disbursement of funds, managing bursary and financial aid application processes, and facilitating other financial aid schemes. The officer is responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and maintaining the database of all student applications in line with Department of Higher Education and Training and NSFAS requirements, as well as consolidating reports on all bursary and financial aid allocations. The role also involves uploading and posting NSFAS student tuition remittances on the Coltech system, reconciling and balancing these transactions, and preparing the annual NSFAS reconciliation report covering advances and tuition fee receipts. The officer must identify NSFAS overpayments and credits with interest that should be repaid or refunded annually, follow up on outstanding close reports, facilitate online applications, capture student data on registration templates, and process funding lists. Additional duties include providing financial aid awareness during registration and orientation periods, assisting with private accommodation, travel allowances, and student attendance report requisitions, and handling verbal and written financial queries from students, parents, and college management.

This is an equal opportunities employer, and people living with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be subjected to vetting and financial disclosure processes, including criminal record, citizenship, qualification, and employment verification. Shortlisted candidates may also undergo personnel suitability checks and will be required to annually disclose their financial interests and declare any conflict or perceived conflict of interest. All shortlisted candidates will undertake two pre-entry assessments: a practical exercise to determine technical suitability and an integrity or ethical conduct assessment. Foreign qualifications must be accompanied by a SAQA evaluation report, and applications must include a fully completed, signed Z83 form and a comprehensive CV with at least three contactable references. Incomplete Z83 forms will be disqualified, and the college reserves the right not to fill the post or to withdraw it at any time. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and if no response is received within six months of the closing date, applicants should consider their application unsuccessful.