The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) is the SETA for the mining and minerals sector, and its bursary scheme exists to grow the number of young South Africans qualified for mining careers. The MQA funds students at universities, universities of technology and TVET colleges, and it reaches TVET students in two ways: through its own bursary scheme and through funding it grants to public TVET colleges.
No MQA call for 2027 newcomers yet
On 1 October 2026 the MQA had not published a first-time bursary call for the 2027 academic year. The MQA bursaries page still carries its 2026 notices, which say the first-time window for 2026 had already closed. The latest window on that page, for existing bursars renewing their funding, closed on 22 January 2026. The MQA has not announced when the next first-time window opens, so watch the MQA bursaries page and the adverts section of mqa.org.za.
Costs the MQA scheme carries
An MQA bursary is a full-cost award. According to the MQA, the scheme pays:
- full tuition and registration fees
- residence fees, or an allowance for private accommodation
- books and meals
- a per-semester allowance for each bursar, where it applies
Renewal: how existing MQA bursars keep their funding
MQA funding is not automatic from one year to the next. For 2026 the MQA invited both employed and unemployed bursars it already funds to submit a continuation application, and it said late applications would not be considered. The MQA was explicit that first-time applicants could not use that continuation form.
If you already hold an MQA bursary, your contact is the MQA officer assigned to your institution’s region. The MQA bursaries page lists four officers by province and institution, with their direct email addresses and phone numbers, so check that page rather than the general switchboard when your renewal is due.
TVET artisans: funding flows through your college
For the 2026 academic year, the MQA asked public TVET colleges, not individual students, to apply for bursary money for financially needy students. That college window opened on 10 October 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025, with applications lodged through the MQA’s OneView portal. The MQA named eight trades for this funding:
- Boilermaker
- Motor mechanic
- Electrician
- Fitter and turner
- Fitting, including machinery
- Instrumentation mechanic
- Millwright
- Rigger ropesman
The MQA said it may put up to 20% of a college’s request towards programmes outside that list. If you study one of these trades at a public TVET college, ask your college’s bursary or student support office whether it has applied for MQA funding for 2027. The MQA has not yet published a 2027 college call.
Mining-sector funders to apply to while you wait
Because the MQA’s dates are not out, apply to mining companies as well. The African Rainbow Minerals bursary and the Council for Geoscience bursary both suit mining and geology students. Browse the engineering bursaries hub for more.
General enquiries go to the MQA at info@mqa.org.za or 011 547 2600, as listed on its adverts.
Can I use the MQA continuation form if I have never had an MQA bursary?
No. The MQA reserves continuation applications for students it already funds, and it does not consider first-time applicants who submit that form. New applicants must wait for a first-time call.
Do employed people qualify for MQA funding?
The MQA’s 2026 continuation notice addressed both employed and unemployed bursars, so its scheme has covered both groups. Check the eligibility rules in the next first-time advert before you apply.