University cost planner

See what a degree could cost in total and how much funding you still need.

Yearly costs

Use your institution’s fee schedule for tuition. The values below are examples, not any institution’s fees.

An assumption. Fees and rent often rise faster than inflation.

Bursary, family contribution, savings or loan, per year.

Short over 3 years

R 434 792

Cost in the first year
R 138 600
First year, a month
R 11 550
Total cost over 3 years
R 434 792
Total funding
R 0

Estimates only. Not financial advice.

Cost and funding by year

Year by year

Cost and funding each year
YearCostFundingShortCost a month
1R 138 600R 0R 138 600R 11 550
2R 144 837R 0R 144 837R 12 070
3R 151 355R 0R 151 355R 12 613
–R 434 792R 0R 434 792

How the university cost planner works

Last updated 10 November 2026

The fee on the brochure is only part of the cost of studying. Living costs add up, and both rise each year.

How it works

  • Each cost is turned into a yearly amount.
  • Year costs rise by the percentage you enter.
  • Short = total cost minus total funding.

Worked example

With the starting figures:

  1. The first year costs R 138 600, or R 11 550 a month.
  2. Over the period the total is R 434 792.

More than the fee

The fee on the brochure is only part of the cost of studying. Accommodation, food, books, transport, data and a laptop add to it, and all of these rise each year. This planner adds up the costs for each year of your degree, shows the total and compares it with the funding you have.

What to enter

  • Tuition and registration from the institution's fee schedule
  • Accommodation and food for each year
  • Books, equipment and a laptop
  • Transport, data and personal costs
  • Funding such as a bursary, a loan and family contributions
  • The yearly increase you expect, as a percentage

How the totals work

Each cost is turned into a yearly amount, and each later year rises by the percentage you enter. The total is the sum over the years of the degree. The shortfall is the total cost minus the total funding, and the table shows each year so you can see when costs peak.

Where to get the real figures

Ask your institution for the current fee schedule and accommodation rates, and check the funding rules of any bursary or loan. Include once-off costs such as a laptop and registration. The starting figures in the planner are examples, not fees or averages for any institution.

Related tools

For a closer look at the cost of a place to live, see the student accommodation budget. For repayments, see the student loan repayment calculator. Nothing you enter is saved.

Planning the funding

Once you have the total, look at where the money will come from each year: family, a bursary, a loan or work. A shortfall in the early years is easier to deal with if you know about it in advance. Ask the institution's financial aid office about deadlines, because many funding applications close early.

Things to watch

  • Ask your institution for the current fee schedule.
  • Include once-off costs, such as a laptop and registration.

To borrow part of it, see the student loan repayment calculator. Read the full disclaimer.

Questions people ask

Where do I get the tuition figure?

From your institution’s fee schedule. The starting figures here are examples only.

How are rising costs handled?

Costs rise by the percentage you enter each year, starting in the second year.

Student accommodation budgetRent, deposit, utilities and transport for a student place to live.Student loan repayment calculatorThe monthly repayment on a study loan, with interest that builds up while you study.Student budget plannerAllowance, bursary and part-time pay against rent, food, transport and study costs.

Estimates only. Not financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.