UNISA does not take late applications. Its 2027 undergraduate application period runs from 17 August to Friday, 9 October 2026, and it is still open as you read this in early October. Once that window closes, UNISA will not accept any application, supporting document or application fee for the 2027 academic year.
So if you were searching for a “late application” because you think you have run out of time, you probably haven’t yet. You have a few days to apply properly. The rest of this page covers what must be done by 9 October and what your options are if you miss it.
What UNISA says about late applications
UNISA’s undergraduate FAQ says: “Unisa will not accept any late applications or documents submitted after the closing date for applications.” The same rule covers the fee. The R160 online application fee must be paid by the closing date, and UNISA does not process an application whose fee arrived late. An incomplete application is treated the same way: you have to re-apply in the next application period. Sources: UNISA undergraduate FAQs and UNISA’s apply-for-admission page, both checked on 3 October 2026.
You may see sites promising a UNISA “late application window” in January. UNISA has not published one for 2027, and its own pages point the other way. UNISA is a distance-learning university, so walking in to a regional office will not get you around the deadline either.
Checklist before Friday, 9 October 2026
- Choose up to three qualifications and rank them in order of preference. UNISA admits students by points score and accepts only as many as each qualification has space for, so a realistic second and third choice helps. The UNISA prospectus guide covers admission requirements per qualification.
- Submit the online application and keep the reference or student number that UNISA sends you. Our step-by-step guide to applying to UNISA for 2027 walks you through the form.
- Pay the R160 fee with the correct reference, early enough for the payment to reflect by the closing date. A fee that arrives after 9 October counts as late.
- Upload every document UNISA asks for before the deadline, because documents sent afterwards are not accepted.
After you apply: offers and the acceptance deadline
UNISA expects to give applicants an outcome within four to six weeks of applications closing. For the 9 October deadline, that means roughly mid- to late November 2026. If you receive an offer, you must accept it within the time UNISA gives you, or the offer is withdrawn. First-time applicants must also complete UNISA’s First-Year Experience short course before accepting. Missing that acceptance step does just as much damage as missing the application deadline.
If you miss 9 October
UNISA’s only official answer is to re-apply in its next application period. UNISA had not published the dates of the next period when we checked on 3 October 2026, so watch the application pages on unisa.ac.za and our UNISA hub for the announcement. Meanwhile, you can still use your 2027 year:
- Apply to a contact university that is still open. Several, including some that take applications through the CAO in KwaZulu-Natal, accept applications until 31 October or later. Our list of universities still open and late application routes tracks which ones and until when.
- Apply for NSFAS funding by 31 October 2026 anyway, if you qualify. Your NSFAS application doesn’t depend on which institution you end up at, and NSFAS has said it will not extend that deadline.
- Use the gap to prepare. Gather certified copies, check the admission requirements for the qualification you want, and be ready on the first day the next UNISA window opens.
Common questions
Can I pay the application fee after 9 October if I submitted the form in time?
No. UNISA says it won’t accept any application fee for 2027 after the closing date, and it won’t process an application without a fee paid on time.
Is there a UNISA late application period after matric results in January 2027?
UNISA has published none. Its FAQ rules out late applications, and it releases outcomes for the 9 October round well before results come out in mid-January. If UNISA ever announces extra spaces, it will do so on unisa.ac.za, so don’t rely on social media posts.