University of the Free State

The University of the Free State (UFS) is a public university based in Bloemfontein, with additional campuses in Qwaqwa and on its South Campus. As one of South Africa's older universities, UFS offers a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications across faculties including Humanities, Economic and Management Sciences, Law, Health Sciences, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Education, and Theology and Religion.

Beyond standard academic bursaries, UFS runs its own merit-based competitions, like the Matriculant of the Year Competition, to attract talented, well-rounded Grade 12 learners directly into its incoming first-year class. These programmes reflect a recruitment strategy built around identifying strong all-round achievers early, rather than relying only on standard admissions and financial-aid channels.

Because competitions like Matriculant of the Year require finalists to commit to studying at UFS specifically, the university treats them as both a scholarship opportunity and a direct pipeline into its own student body.