Liberty, the insurance and investment group that forms part of the Standard Bank Group, offers Actuarial Science bursaries to full-time university students. Liberty does not fund matriculants: its bursary starts in the second year of study, so students apply while they are in first year. Liberty’s 2027 intake closed on 30 August 2026, and Liberty has not yet published dates for the next one.
Why Liberty waits until your second year
Liberty selects bursars on their university record rather than on matric marks. The application criteria on Liberty’s careers page ask for:
- continuous excellent performance in all first-year modules;
- an overall average above 60%, plus an average of 65% or more across your mathematical and actuarial modules;
- South African citizenship by birth or descent.
Liberty also counts leadership and extramural involvement in your favour, naming sport, debating societies, chess clubs and olympiads as examples. These are not compulsory, but in a field where many applicants have similar marks they can set you apart.
The package: money, vacation work and a job offer
A Liberty bursary pays tuition and, where applicable, accommodation, meals and a travel allowance. Liberty adds academic support, networking opportunities and vacation work. The biggest difference from many bursaries is the end point: Liberty guarantees bursars employment once they complete their university studies.
Liberty runs paid actuarial vacation work during the June and December recesses for third-year Actuarial Science students, and it recruits Honours-year students into permanent posts through a yearly graduate drive. Liberty says applications for its 2028 graduate intake will open between March and June 2027.
How the 2027 intake worked
Liberty linked its bursary advert to the Standard Bank Group recruitment site on SmartRecruiters, where the posting asked for students currently in the first year of an Actuarial Science degree. Applications closed on 30 August 2026 and the posting has since expired. Expect the next advert to follow the same route: watch the actuarial section of the Liberty careers page on liberty.co.za during your first year and apply through the link Liberty gives there.
Still at school? Try job shadowing first
Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners cannot hold a Liberty bursary yet, but Liberty’s actuaries host one- or two-day job shadowing sessions twice a year, usually in the school holidays. Places are limited; Liberty takes requests by email at ADP@liberty.co.za.
Funding your first year in actuarial science
Since Liberty only steps in from second year, you need another way to cover first year. The SAADP actuarial science bursary supports students at Wits, UP and UCT, and the Sanlam actuarial bursary is another insurer-run option. Liberty’s parent group also runs its own scheme, covered on our Standard Bank bursary page.