ISACA, the global association for IT audit, risk, governance and cybersecurity professionals, funds student scholarships through the ISACA Foundation (formerly One In Tech). South African students can reach this money two ways: the ISACA South Africa Chapter Scholarship, reserved for students at South African institutions, and a handful of ISACA Foundation awards open to students anywhere in the world. Both run on the same online portal, but they open at different times of the year.
Open right now: ISACA’s worldwide Cycle 2 awards
The ISACA Foundation splits its year into two application cycles. Cycle 2 opened on 8 September 2026 and closes on 3 November 2026 at 11:59 pm US Central Time, which is roughly 07:00 on 4 November in South Africa. ISACA states plainly that it accepts no late submissions. Winners are chosen in December and paid between January and February 2027, so this money lands in time for the 2027 academic year.
Two Cycle 2 scholarships accept students from any country, which includes South Africa:
- Digital Trust Scholarship: 14 awards of between US$1,000 and US$2,500 each, sized by need, tuition cost and merit. Applicants must be undergraduate or postgraduate students in a field linked to IT audit, risk, cybersecurity, governance or assurance.
- ISACA Cybersecurity Month Scholarship: five awards of US$2,500 each for students pursuing, or planning to pursue, a degree focused on cybersecurity. Winners must attend at least one ISACA event in 2027 and report to the Foundation twice a year for two years.
For both, you need to be at least 18, be enrolled at or accepted by an accredited university, college or technical institute, and supply a recommendation letter from a lecturer, academic adviser or professional mentor. International applicants also upload proof of enrolment; ISACA’s FAQ says a recent fee receipt, registration letter or class timetable showing your name, institution and a recent date will do, and a screenshot is acceptable. Apply through the ISACA Foundation scholarship portal, where each award has its own page and application link. Recommendation letters share the 3 November deadline, so ask your referee early.
The South Africa Chapter Scholarship opens in March
The award this page has always tracked belongs to Cycle 1. In 2026 the ISACA South Africa Chapter Scholarship page opened applications on 24 March and closed them on 5 May 2026. It does not appear in the current Cycle 2 list, so South African students who missed it should watch for the next Cycle 1, which the Foundation’s FAQ says opens in March and closes in May each year. ISACA has not yet posted dates for 2027.
The 2026 round paid US$1,000 each to four undergraduate and two postgraduate students, with the money released in July for use at the institution the student attended that year. To qualify, applicants had to:
- be 18 or older;
- be studying for an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification such as a BSc in Computer Science, a BCom in Information Systems or another technology-related qualification;
- be enrolled at a South African higher-education institution, and ISACA counts TVET colleges and universities of technology alongside universities.
ISACA’s South Africa page sets no citizenship rule and requires no existing ISACA membership. What matters is where you study. Recipients agree to attend a chapter event within three months of the award and to keep in touch with the Foundation twice a year for two years.
More than cash: ISACA’s Career Building Bundle
Every ISACA Foundation winner, local or worldwide, also receives a bundle aimed at launching a career in digital trust: one year of ISACA student membership, an online certificate review course, registration for an ISACA virtual conference, access to ISACA’s mentorship programme and resources for starting an ISACA student group on campus. The scholarships pay for study costs such as tuition, registration fees, books and essential technology; ISACA does not fund certification exams through this programme.
Writing an application ISACA’s judges remember
Volunteer ISACA members from around the world judge every application blind, and the Foundation does not explain individual decisions. Its own advice is to give full answers rather than one-liners, to rewrite anything an AI tool drafts so it sounds like you, and to pick a referee who knows your work well. You may write in your preferred language and apply for several ISACA scholarships in the same cycle. Unsuccessful applicants may apply again in later cycles while they remain eligible.
ISACA’s awards are small next to a full-cost bursary, so most students pair them with other support. The IITPSA bursary comes from another professional body in the same field, and the Cisco Foundation Trust bursary targets missing-middle IT students. Browse the full list of IT bursaries for more options.
Can I apply to ISACA while still in Grade 12?
Only if you will be enrolled at a college, university or technical institute by the time ISACA pays the award, and you must be 18 to open the free ISACA account the application needs.
Do I need to be an ISACA member to apply?
No. You need a free ISACA account to log in to the portal, and winners receive a year of student membership as part of the award.
Who do I contact with questions?
The ISACA Foundation answers scholarship questions at foundation@isaca.org. Check the FAQ on the portal first, because it covers most eligibility and document questions.