Bursary Brand
BISA has identified that a major gap exists in South Africa as a result of tertiary institutes operating and distributing bursaries in isolation of each other on an independent basis. More often than not, these bursaries are offered as a means of promoting the tertiary institute from a marketing perspective as opposed to taking the genuine needs of the learner involved.

This current landscape in South Africa allows BISA to become a central accumulator and distributor of bursaries. With the learner as its central focus, BISA aims to carefully monitor the progress of each individual involved to ensure that bursaries awarded are not taken for granted and that tertiary institutes see the upliftment value that their generosity inspires.

By centralizing the accumulation process, BISA will soon be recognized as the main channel for the administration of bursaries. BISA aims to attract and represent most of the recognized FETS’ in the country. One of the key initiatives of the institute is to create a Bursary Brand in South Africa.
This will be achieved by extensive marketing initiatives that will take place both above the line and below the line.

Education in South Africa
In the South Africa of the post-Apartheid era, the education system has been undergoing major reforms to more equitably distribute educational opportunities to all South Africans in all of the population groups and to heighten educational quality at all levels.  Despite improvements in literacy and educational levels, a large number of young people leave schools each year without the necessary skills to compete for gainful employment in the formal sector, according to Census 2001.  Over the last three years, an increasing number of learners have written national matriculation examinations but fewer have passed and less learners are being accepted into tertiary institutions.  

In 2007 only 85 000 of 565 000 pupils, or a mere 15%, who wrote the final exams scored well enough to qualify automatically for university.  Many more remain at home because they cannot afford the high tuition fees.  It is further believed by many, that pupils leave school without the necessary skills which would make them economically productive.  The Bursary Institute of South Africa looks to fill the skills gap for school leavers by creating accessibility to post school studies at a reduced cost or no cost at all through our bursary programme.