The Athlone Institute Trust has helped young people from the Paarl area into tertiary education for close to a century. Residents of Paarl founded the Trust in 1926 because coloured students in the town had almost no route to higher education. In 1998 the Trust set up a bursary project committee, and in 2006 that committee became the Athlone Institute Bursary Project Fund, known as AIBPROF.
According to the bursary website, the fund has supported more than 1 500 students since it started. In 2024 alone the Trust awarded R900 000 to 81 students, an average of roughly R11 000 per student, far less than a full year’s fees at most universities. Treat it as help towards your fees, not as your only source of funding.
Two ways to belong: your address or your congregation
AIBPROF only funds South African citizens with a real tie to Paarl. You qualify on that point if you either live permanently in Paarl or Mbekweni, or you worship at one of the Trust’s five member churches:
- St Stephen’s Anglican Church
- Immanuel United Reformed Church
- Bethel United Congregational Church
- Holy Trinity Anglican Church
- Zions United Reformed Church
Beyond that, the Trust looks for applicants who have passed matric and hold the certificate, who can show financial need and a good academic record, and who are enrolled at an institution accredited by the Council on Higher Education. The fund does not limit you to particular fields of study, and it accepts both full-time and part-time students. Successful students must also take part in the Trust’s community service and mentoring programme.
Paper forms from Paarl churches and a pharmacy
The Trust did not take online applications for its 2026 round. Instead, students collected a printed form from URC Immanuel, Holy Trinity or St Stephen’s Anglican, URC Zions, Bethel Congregational Church, or Drakenstein Pharmacy on Jan van Riebeek Road in Paarl. Students who could not get to any of those places could ask for the form by email at admin@athlonebursary.co.za.
That round closed on 27 February 2026. Because the form asks for proof that you have already registered and paid your registration fee for the year, the Trust’s application window falls after the academic year begins rather than in the previous winter. The Trust has not yet published a closing date for 2027 study, so check the Athlone bursary website early in the new year.
The paperwork AIBPROF asked for last time
Start gathering certified copies before the forms appear, because the Trust’s list is long and several items need a certified stamp:
- a certified copy of your ID document
- certified proof of registration at your university, college or TVET, plus certified proof that you paid this year’s registration fee
- proof of residence
- certified recent payslips for your parents, guardians, spouse or yourself, or sworn affidavits from anyone who is unemployed
- certified matric results if you are a first-year student, or a certified full academic record if you are a senior or postgraduate student
- the Student Account Information form, which your institution completes
- an official testimonial from your religious leader
- the signed Declaration of Information Submitted
The religious leader’s testimonial matters most for applicants who qualify through church membership, so speak to your minister or priest well before the deadline.
Other help for Western Cape and community-based students
Because AIBPROF awards are small, many Paarl students combine them with other funding. Students from the Overberg can look at the Cape Agulhas Municipality bursary, and the N3TC community bursary shows how other place-based schemes work. For more open-field options, browse our general bursaries list.
Can I apply online for the Athlone Institute bursary?
Not for the 2026 round. The Trust stated that it would accept no online applications and asked students to collect paper forms in Paarl or request one by email. Check the bursary website for any change before the 2027 round.
Do I need to live in Paarl if I attend a member church?
No. The Trust accepts either permanent residence in Paarl or Mbekweni, or membership of one of its five member churches. You need only one of the two.