Tshwane University of Technology has already put its January 2027 late application window in writing. The 2027 Academic Core Calendar, last updated on 15 April 2026, lists “14 – 22 January 2027” for the late application process, for programmes that still have space, through the online application system only. The same line says no walk-ins. Few South African universities publish a January date this early, so TUT applicants can plan around it now.
Two caveats apply. A calendar date is a plan, not a guarantee: the calendar itself notes that TUT is still waiting for the official release date of the matric results, so the window could move if the results move. And the window covers only courses with seats left after on-time applicants have been placed. Popular courses that filled up during the year will not appear.
Courses TUT still lists as open
Most TUT courses for 2027 closed on 15 June, 31 July or 30 September 2026. On 30 September 2026 TUT posted a one-page list of courses that still had space on 1 October. It names these courses, but it gives no closing date for them:
- Pretoria Campus: BEng Tech in Materials Engineering (Polymer Technology); Diploma in Credit Management.
- eMalahleni Campus: BEng Tech, Diploma and Higher Certificate in Electrical Engineering.
- Arcadia Campus (Faculty of Science): diplomas in Food Technology, Analytical Chemistry, Geology, Water Science and Technology, and Industrial Physics; BSc in Industrial Chemistry.
If one of these suits you, apply now rather than waiting for January. TUT closes a course once it is full, and an on-time application is considered before any late one. The R240 application fee comes from TUT’s 2027 enrolment guide. Each portal step is covered in our TUT online application guide, while the TUT prospectus page lists each course’s APS and subjects.
Settling the 14 versus 15–23 January question
Some websites still quote two different dates for last year’s window. We checked TUT’s 2026 Academic Core Calendar directly. When the PDF’s text is copied out, its date column slips one row, which pairs the late application line with 14 January 2026. Read in its printed position, that line sits next to “15 – 23 January 2026”, and the calendar grid marks the week of 19 to 23 January 2026 with “LA” (late applications). The 14 January 2026 entry was actually the closing date for exit examination applications. So last year’s late window ran from 15 to 23 January 2026, and it was online only.
The 2027 calendar follows the same pattern one year on: 14 to 22 January 2027 in the list, with the grid marking 18 to 22 January 2027 as late application days. Online registration is planned for 14 to 31 January 2027.
No queues at the gate, and no payment for enquiries
On 22 December 2025 TUT published a newsroom notice, TUT applications and late applications are fully online. It said no walk-ins would be allowed in January 2026. It also said TUT would not charge anyone money for making enquiries, and it warned about people who promise admission in exchange for payment. A similar notice went out before January 2025. Expect the same rule in January 2027: do not travel to a campus hoping to be placed in person.
One point of confusion: TUT’s 2027 enrolment guide does contain the words “no late applications”, but those lines refer to financial aid and residence, not to academic admission. They do not cancel the January process in the calendar.
Before January: a short checklist
- Apply now for any course on the still-open list that you qualify for.
- Submit your NSFAS application by 31 October 2026 if you will need funding.
- After the results are out, check tut.ac.za for the list of courses with space, then apply online between 14 and 22 January 2027 if the dates hold.
- Have backup options at other universities: our list of universities still open and their late processes is updated as dates change.
TUT’s contact centre is on 086 110 2421 and general@tut.ac.za, on weekdays only. We will check the TUT homepage and the core calendar again in early January 2027 and update this page if the dates change.
Does TUT charge a late application fee?
TUT has not published a separate late fee. Its normal application fee for 2027 is R240, and it says it never charges for enquiries. If someone asks you to pay outside the official portal, treat it as a scam.