A postgraduate management qualification is expensive enough that how you fund it materially affects whether it is worth doing. There are four routes, and most people only consider the most expensive one. Scholarships, employer funding and skills levy grants all reduce or remove the cost, and each has requirements worth understanding before you apply anywhere.
Establish what you actually want from the qualification first, because that determines which route fits.
Scholarships and bursaries
Business schools run scholarships, frequently targeting specific groups such as women, entrepreneurs, or applicants with a demonstrated social impact record. Places are limited and deadlines are firm.
Applications succeed on a clear, specific account of what you have done and what you intend to do with the qualification. Generic ambition competes poorly against a concrete record.
Employer funding
Many employers will fund part or all of a qualification, usually attached to a work-back period committing you to stay for a defined time afterwards. Read that clause: leaving early generally means repaying a portion.
Frame the request around what the employer gains rather than what you want. A proposal connecting the qualification to a capability the business needs is considerably more persuasive.
Skills levy grants
Employers above the payroll threshold pay a skills development levy and can recover part of it as grants by registering with their sector authority and submitting a workplace skills plan and annual training report.
That money is already being paid. An employer who claims nothing back is funding other companies’ training, which is a useful argument when asking them to fund yours. The framework sits with the Department of Higher Education and Training.
Study loans, and whether it is worth it
Loans are the most expensive route and should be the last considered. Compare the total repayment against the realistic earnings increase rather than the advertised one.
Be honest about the objective. If you want specific skills, shorter accredited courses cost a fraction and deliver them. If you want the network and the credential, a full qualification may be justified. Free business training and mentorship is also available at no cost through the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency.
Frequently asked questions
What are the ways to fund a management qualification?
Scholarships and bursaries, employer funding, skills levy grants through a SETA, and study loans as the last resort.
What makes a scholarship application succeed?
A specific record of what you have done and concrete plans for the qualification, rather than general statements of ambition.
What should I check in employer funding?
The work-back period. Leaving before it ends usually means repaying a portion of the cost.
What are skills levy grants?
Recoverable portions of the levy employers already pay, claimed by registering with a SETA and submitting a skills plan and training report.
Is a full qualification always worth it?
Not if you want specific skills, which shorter accredited courses deliver far more cheaply. The credential and network are what justify the full cost.
Further reading
Originally published in March 2018. Updated September 2026 into guidance on funding a management qualification rather than announcing one scholarship.
