What is the Gauteng City-Region Academy?
GCRA is a branch of the Gauteng Government operating under the region’s Department of Education auspices. It is mandated to promote the region’s growth and prosperity by facilitating the development and availability of suitable professionals from the area.
This is on the back of the fact that to sustain growth in the economic, social, and political spheres, the region should have suitable personnel to take up those positions.
Therefore, the Gauteng City-Region Academy bursary program aims to promote skills and build a capable workforce in line with the province’s growth plans. More so, the GCRA does not only focus on academic excellence when helping Gauteng residents with scholarships.
It also aims to help instill rightful ethics as demanded by the province. Students with appropriate ethics understand their role when they finish studying; hence, they will work cordially toward the growth of South Africa’s most productive region.
Who should apply for the GCRA bursary?
The GCRA bursary was created to help young South Africans advance their education and skills. However, it does not target all South African youths, but young people aged between 18 and 35 years old residing in Gauteng must apply.
You should also have completed Matric and showed a solid academic record to boost your chances of qualification. The scholarship offers limited positions that a pool of tens of thousands of potential applicants in Gauteng will be competing for.
This should be a clear sign of how, as an applicant, you should ensure that your application is carefully completed and shows a great deal of potential.
Given the above, having a strong academic record gives applicants an upper hand. If you are an aspiring GCRA bursary applicant or know someone who is, encourage them to study hard when they are still in Matric to achieve higher marks that allow them to become one of the favorite applicants when they finally apply.
Nevertheless, this bursary is for both under-graduation and post-graduation studies. Therefore, you must pay attention to instructions that concern your status, that is, whether you want to apply for undergrad or post-graduation studies.
You should read the instructions carefully on the application form and take your time to provide all required information as detailed as possible. The key is to ensure that your application stands out.
The region automatically awards the GCRA bursary to some learners. Top matriculants in Gauteng schools are automatically awarded the scholarship. The region also uses this scholarship to promote education equality by automatically awarding the top three learners who study at no-fee paying schools around the Gauteng Region.
Finally, the top three learners from schools where learners with special education needs learn also get an automatic qualification.
How to apply for the GCRA Bursary program
All applicants must fulfill the above requirements for application and more. This is one of the first checkpoints you will encounter in the form of a pop-up window showing you the ‘criteria’. Even those who are awarded an automatic qualification must also fill in the application form and submit it. Nevertheless, how does the entire application process go?
To apply for the GCRA bursary, you must first check if the applications have been opened for the academic year. If they are, you can visit this page to start the application process. The page will have a link that allows you to access the bursary application form. You will be prompted to file this form online.
From the onset, the application process looks simple. However, just like every other bursary application, careful consideration must be taken when completing it. You must carefully include your details and ensure that no errors are involved. Errors could easily get your application disregarded.
Important details about the Gauteng City-Region Academy (GCRA) Bursary Application
Below are the steps that are involved in the entire process.
Get your user account ready. After going to the GCRA bursary application page, you will see a button that says “Apply/Register”. Please note that you can only see this button if the application process is open. The due date for the applications will also be indicated just above that button.
Click on this button to create an account. You will be asked to enter personal details such as your name, surname, ID number, and phone number. The phone number is essential because it is used to receive PINs or PINs that you will use to continue the application process.
- Complete your profile
Once you create an account, you can successfully log in and then complete your profile by capturing more personal details, such as gender, and indicating if you have any disabilities. More importantly, this part will also ask you to choose the bursary type you are applying for.
Bursary-type examples include; the top achievers, new intake, renewal, reinstatement, top 3 achievers (from no-fees payment Gauteng schools), top 3 in learners with special education needs (LSEN), and financial assistance.
- Other details
Once you are done with the above and click ‘next’, you will be prompted to add your address details, next of kin details, and education details such as your high school and matric details. Once done, you will move over to the bursary application section.
- Gauteng City-Region Academy (GCRA) Bursary application
This step takes you straight into the section where you enter qualification details. Here, you will also be prompted to enter the intake type. Be careful to ensure that it matches the one you chose during the initial stages of the application.
You will then be asked to add more details, such as to indicate if you have any other sponsors funding your education. Once done, you will be ready to upload documents, as shown below.
What documents do you require to send with your application?
Here is the list of documents you should upload to complete your GCRA bursary application.
You will need to upload:
- Matric certificate
- Certified ID copy
- Proof of residence
- Proof of other bursaries (if any)
- Tertiary proof of acceptance
Other documents, such as proof of disability, a letter of motivation stating why you deserve the application and how you think it will help you, and proof of income for parents or guardians, may be required.
You must keep these ready before beginning the application process. Moreover, all essential copies such as IDs, proof of residence, and a Matric Certificate must be certified.
Once you are done uploading documents, read the declaration terms, accept, and apply. You will receive a message on your phone stating that your application has been received.