Southern Africa
Local Representative
Ms. Nomvuyo Lerato Mzamane
nomvuyo@assistscholars.org
+27 - 68 - 601 - 9136
Important Dates
Appliation Opens:
August 1, 2025
Application Close:
December 1, 2025
Interviews for Finalists:
January 2026
Decisions: March & April 2026 Orientation: August 2026 School Year Begins: August/September 2026 School Year Ends: May 2027APPLICATION FEE
Regular: $25 USD (About 470 ZAR / LSL / SZL / NAD) (About 345 BPW - Check national banks for other rates) Needs-Based Fee Waiver Possible Upon Written Request
PROGRAM FEE
USD $15,000 With a full Sanderson scholarship Or a full Davis scholarship USD $36,250 With a partial Lindfors scholarship Families must cover all travel related Expenses including flights to orientation and to school, and all school-related costs. See full list here: (LINK: https://www.assistscholars.org/scholarship/affording-assist/)
Southern Africa
Welcome to ASSIST Southern Africa
ASSIST Southern Africa welcomes applications from current 9th or 10th graders who would like to spend one study abroad year in the United States as 10th or 11th graders on scholarship. Pupils from the sixteen countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) must spend at least their 12th grade year back in their home country.
There are also very limited places for particularly exceptional current 11th and 12 graders who wish to spend the year as 12th graders and post-graduates (Grade 13) but these rarely carry a scholarship. ASSIST then acts as a referral agency and enables direct placement as a tuition-paying candidate.
Candidates should note that due to the difference between the January-to-December school calendar in most Southern African schools, and the August-to-May school calendar in the United States, they will essentially need to spend 2 years in the same grade:
- January to July: First half of that grade in their home country
- September to May: Full year of that grade in their home country
- July to December: Second half of that grade in their home country
If a student attends a Cambridge school, they can only apply to ASSIST in their 9th grade year, so that if selected, they complete their 10th grade year in the United States, then return to their school for their AS and A-levels. Also note that there are no Cambridge curriculum and very few IB curriculum ASSIST member schools; applicants should assume that they will enroll in a traditional American-style curriculum.
Virtual and In-Person Information Sessions
Please email nomvuyo@assistscholars.org for more information regarding upcoming information sessions. These are either virtual and a Zoom link to the meeting will be sent upon inquiry or they are in person at a private school in Pretoria East, Gauteng.
Schools, parent groups, and community organisations can also request an in-person or virtual information session where there is a critical mass of interested and eligible pupils. Days and times vary to include working hours, evenings, weekends, and public holidays.
Information sessions are conducted in English. Special virtual sessions with a Portuguese translator can be arranged.
Please email nomvuyo@assistscholars.org for more information regarding upcoming information sessions. These are either virtual and a Zoom link to the meeting will be sent upon inquiry or they are in person at a private school in Pretoria East, Gauteng.
Schools, parent groups, and community organisations can also request an in-person or virtual information session where there is a critical mass of interested and eligible pupils. Days and times vary to include working hours, evenings, weekends, and public holidays.
Information sessions are conducted in English. Special virtual sessions with a Portuguese translator can be arranged.
ASSIST at Fairs
From time-to-time, ASSIST will be present at a fair. The dates, times and location will be posted here.
To invite ASSIST to a fair anywhere in a Southern African country, please email nomvuyo@assistscholars.org
Application Process
To apply to the ASSIST Scholar’s Program, you will need to log into ASSIST's application portal. The application process begins in early August of each year and closes in mid-December. Before that, applicants should fill out the INQUIRE section and expect to receive a notification inviting them to complete their application in August: https://assistscholars.fsenrollment.com/portal/new_inquiry
Between August to December, candidates must complete the application: https://www.assistscholars.org/scholarship/apply/
Application documents to be uploaded include school report cards from the end of the previous school year and the June results in the current year. The application form needs to be completed carefully and in full, and includes some short essay questions. Applicants must also upload their headshot and four candid pictures of themselves alone and/or with family and friends.
An application fee of $25 is also paid via debit or credit card using a link. If this cost exceeds an applicant’s financial means, please email nomvuyo@assistscholars.org and expect to submit additional family financials.
The application portal will also allow applicants to enter the e-mail addresses of those teachers they have asked to provide a letter of recommendation. The teachers will then be contacted directly by ASSIST via the platform. A recommendation for mathematics and English is mandatory. The third educator must be a school administrator, preferably the principal / head of school or a head of department or head of phase. It is very important that applicants speak to their teachers in good time so that the educators have enough time to prepare these letters.
English Test
Whilst most applicants from southern Africa will not need to take an English test if they have attended an English-medium school for much of their schooling, various checks including a pre-interview may be requested.
If a student does not come from a school where the language of learning and teaching is English, as soon as ASSIST has received the complete documents, they will be checked and a decision will be made as to the invitation to the English test and interview. The English test is a Duolingo test, costs USD 59 and must be taken before the interview. If this cost exceeds an applicant’s financial means, please email nomvuyo@assistscholars.org and expect to submit additional family financials.
Interviews
A pre-interview may be requested. The applicant and their parents will all be on the Zoom session or the WhatsApp video call.
If the candidate is invited to a final interview, it will take place via Zoom in January. Interviews are for students only and will be in small groups. Interviews are NOT knowledge tests but opportunities for the ASSIST team in the United States and in Southern Africa to get to know applicants really well.
Decisions and Final Steps
Decisions about the scholarships will then be made by March at the latest. Applicants and their families will be informed via email.
If you are a 9th grader and do not get accepted, you are welcome to try again during your 10th grade year.
Should you become a winner of an ASSIST scholarship, after formally accepting the offer, communications will come from us from April for visa applications and other preparation for both the orientation and your school.
From May you will receive communications directly from your school. It is important to note that applicants cannot choose their own school. The specialised ASSIST team matches a school with a candidate. The list of our member schools may be found here: https://www.assistscholars.org/member-schools/