Who must apply?

Everyone wanting to start a new qualification must apply for admission. This includes first-time Unisa applicants and Unisa students changing to a new qualification.
Everyone completing a Higher Certificate or Alternative Pathway / Extended Programme must apply for admission to the follow-on qualification.
You must re-apply for admission if you previously applied for admission and received feedback, but did not register for any reason.
Everyone planning to enrol for classes at a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college under the Unisa-TVET agreement must apply for admission.

What’s new for 2025/2026?

You may apply for a maximum of two qualifications, ranked in order of preference (although you may only register for one should both of your applications be successful).
Unisa will inform you of the outcome of your application. If successful, Unisa will indicate for which qualification you have been accepted and will offer you a space for the period for which you have applied (ie either semester 1 or semester 2).
You must accept or decline Unisa’s offer within the prescribed period of time.
Why happens if I don’t accept Unisa’s offer?
- The university will withdraw your offer and give your space to another applicant.
- You will not be able to register for the 2025/2026 academic year.
If you accept Unisa’s offer, you must register for the period for which you have been granted admission (ie semester 1 or semester 2). Should you not register for the relevant semester of study, you will need to re-apply for admission during the next application period.

Check your documents & confirm that you are ready to apply

Please note that if you don’t meet the exact requirements listed below, your application will be declined and you will have to re-apply during the next application period.

I am sure…

that Open Distance Learning (ODL) and Unisa are for me
about my career
that I have chosen the correct Unisa qualification(s) for my career choice
that I meet the statutory and college admission requirements for my qualification(s) of choice
that I have a valid e-mail address and cellphone number, and I accept that Unisa will communicate with me during the application process using this e-mail address and cellphone number. Please ensure that you provide only one e-mail address and one cellphone number during the application process.

I have the following documents scanned & uploaded to an electronic device

All applicants starting a new qualification must upload all the required documents:

Copy of your school qualifications (eg Senior Certificate)
Copy of your official tertiary academic record(s) (if applicable) (internet copies will not be accepted)
Copy of your ID document (RSA students) or ID / passport (international students)
Copy of your marriage certificate (if applicable) or divorce decree (if applicable)
Sworn translations of documents if they are not in English or Afrikaans

*Some qualifications may require additional documents. Unisa reserves the right to request original documents and / to verify the correctness of submitted documents at any time. Submitting fraudulent documents is an offence in terms of the Student Disciplinary Code.

I am sure that my documents are scanned according to the rules

Follow the instructions carefully when completing the online application process. Only upload the required documents as individual files and not a complete set of documents as one file.

Files are not larger than 2MB (2048KB) each.
Only black and white documents may be submitted.
Only the following file types are allowed: PDF (Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format file), DOC (Word document file) or TIF (image file)

How to apply?

Ways to apply

You can apply online.
Applicants who plan to enrol for classes at a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college under the Unisa-TVET agreement may apply via the relevant TVET college or at Unisa via the online or self-help options.

Upload supporting documents

Everyone applying for a new qualification must submit the required documents (all first-time applicants and Unisa students starting a new qualification).

Unisa does not provide scanners or electronic devices. Please ensure that your documents are scanned and uploaded to an electronic device before starting the application process.

Pay the application fee once you’ve received a student number from Unisa

R105 for online applications
R160 for hard copy applications (non-degree purposes only)
Use the student number you receive from Unisa AND the application fee reference number (ie STUDENTNUMBER 5370810030)
Visit www.unisa.ac.za/paymentinfo for banking details and payment information.

This fee is non-refundable even if you decide not to study through Unisa or do not qualify for admission to Unisa. Unisa does not accept cash at any of its offices.

The due date for the application fee is the closing date for the application period. Any application submitted without an application fee will not be processed. Please ensure that you keep a copy of your proof of payment.

Make sure that your application is complete

If your application for admission to study through Unisa is incomplete, you will have to re-apply during the next application period.

Based on Unisa’s application and selection process, you will not automatically be accepted to study through Unisa in 2025/2026 even if you meet the general academic admission requirements for a qualification.

Unisa will assess your application, which includes the points score system. You may be offered a space for 2025/2026 based on the following: whether you meet the academic admission requirements for your qualification of choice, your minimum points score and the number of places available for the qualification for which you have applied.

Application outcomes

Unisa will inform you that your application for admission was successful and indicate for which qualification you have been accepted. Unisa will offer you a space for the period for which you have applied (ie either semester 1 or semester 2). You must accept or decline Unisa’s offer within the prescribed period of time. If you fail to do so, Unisa will withdraw the offer and give your space to another applicant.

Unisa will inform you that your application was unsuccessful. Visit www.unisa.ac.za/studyoptions to explore other study options.

Incorrect / incomplete applications will be rejected.

Remember to register

If your application for admission is successful and you accept Unisa’s offer, you must register for the period for which you have been granted admission (ie semester 1 or semester 2). Should you not register for the relevant semester of study, you will need to re-apply for admission during the next application period.

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