GALLAGHER FOUNDATION Scholarship Application: South Africa 2026

SUBMISSION DUE DATE: July 31, 2025 11:59 PM

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Gallagher Scholar candidates are citizens of South Africa who reflect academic achievement and evidence of leadership potential. Race, gender and religion are not considered as factors in scholarship selection.

Candidates for the Gallagher scholarship must meet the following eligibility criteria.

Values: Gallagher Scholar candidates show evidence of a high level of ethical values, which includes:

Commitment to making a difference in their country
Belief that progress can be achieved without violence
Alignment with the Gallagher Foundation Leadership Traits

Leadership:
Gallagher Scholar candidates are aspiring leaders, evidenced through involvement and leadership in a variety of activities.
Academic:
Gallagher Scholar candidates possess and show evidence of academic excellence.
Gallagher Scholar candidates plan to attend the University of Cape Town as first year undergraduate students in 2026. Final selection into the Gallagher Foundation Scholarship program is dependent upon final acceptance to UCT.
Gallagher Scholar candidates have applied to a degree program lasting a maximum of 4 years or a 6 year medical degree program.
Gallagher Scholar candidates graduated from high school in 2024 or 2025.
Financial:
Gallagher Scholar candidates display evidence of financial need, with an annual household income below R600,000.
Gallagher Foundation will utilize AI (Artificial Intelligence) to assist in the preliminary evaluation of applications, but human oversight will remain integral in our final decision making.

CANDIDATE CONSENT

Are you 18 years old or older?

YesNo

Over 18 Candidate Permission

I give permission for the information I provide in this application to be shared and securely stored with the Gallagher Foundation staff and selection team. I agree to cross-border sharing of personal information upon submission of the application.

Under 18 Parent/Guardian Permission

Parent/Guardian Must Complete This Section

I give permission for the information my student provides in this application to be shared and securely stored with the Gallagher Foundation staff and selection team. I agree to cross-border sharing of personal information upon submission of the application.

As the parent/guardian of the applicant under the age of 18, I certify that the applicant meeting the eligibility requirements of the program and that the information provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge. Falsification of information will result in termination of any scholarship granted.

Parent/Guardian Signature

APPLICATION PROCESS

I understand that to be eligible for this scholarship I must receive final acceptance to the University of Cape Town and enter as a first year undergraduate student in 2026.

I understand that to be eligible for this scholarship my annual household income must be below R600,000. NOTE: Proof of income must be submitted with this application and will be confirmed and verified.

Application Requirements

This application requires the following document uploads:

Letter of Recommendation: Request a letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your leadership abilities. Note: Letters from family members are not accepted.
Full academic record including the latest available results
Proof of Income: See specific requirements on page 15 of this application

This application requires submission of four short essays, responding to the following questions:

All good leaders fail. Each mistake teaches us something. Describe a time you failed in some way and what you learned from it.
What would you like to see happen to your country in the next 50 years and how do you see yourself participating?
Where have you seen leadership demonstrated and what made that person stand out as a leader to you?
Describe a significant challenge you've encountered in your life. What made it difficult, how did you deal with it, and how has it shaped who you are today? Note: We understand that financial need is a shared experience for all Gallagher Foundation Scholarship candidates. For this essay, we encourage you to reflect on other types of personal challenges you have faced and how you have dealt with them.

Applications that are found to have used AI (Artificial Intelligence) to compose their essays will be disqualified.

Application and Selection Timeline

June 13, 2025: Gallagher Foundation Application opens
July 31, 2025: Gallagher Foundation Application closes
September 22, 2025: Applicants are informed of their status in the next phase of the selection process
October 6-7, 2025: Final Gallagher Foundation candidates are interviewed
October 10, 2025: Applicants are informed of final selection of Gallagher Scholars

CANDIDATE INFORMATION

First Name

Last Name

Date of Birth

MM/DD/YY

Email

Mobile Phone Number

Home Phone Number

Gender

MaleFemaleOther

National ID Number

How did you find out about the Gallagher Foundation Scholarship?

PARENT/GUARDIAN INFORMATION

Please provide the following information about the parents or guardians who live with and financially support you.

Parent/Primary Guardian

Please select your relationship with your primary guardian.

Please describe the relationship

Primary Guardian First Name

Primary Guardian Last Name

Primary Guardian Employer

If not employed, type None.

Job Title

This person has a high school diploma.

Answer Yes or No

This person has a college degree.

Answer Yes or No

Parent/Secondary Guardian

Please select your relationship with your Secondary guardian (if applicable).

Please describe the relationship

Secondary Guardian First Name

Secondary Guardian Last Name

Secondary Guardian Employer

Job Title

This person has a high school diploma.

Answer Yes or No

This person has a college degree.

Answer Yes or No

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Please enter the yearly income for each member of your household including any pensions or social grants.

NOTE: Proof of household income must be submitted with this application and will be confirmed and verified with UCT. If UCT reports that your yearly household income is above our maximum requirement, you will not be eligible for the scholarship.

Guardian 1 Yearly Income

Enter the amount without symbols or spaces. For example: R 10 000,00 would be entered as 10000.

Guardian 2 Yearly Income

If you do not have a second guardian, enter 0.

Additional yearly household income

If there is no additional income, enter 0.

Total Yearly Household Income

SECONDARY SCHOOL INFORMATION

Please provide your NBT exam scores (if available) and information about the secondary school you attend.

NBT Exam Results

NBT Exam Scores: AL Score

Secondary School Information

Name of Secondary School

Is this a public or private school?

Where is the school located?

Secondary School Matric Year

Example: 2025

Current GPA

Enter your grade point average on a 100 point scale.

Did you receive a scholarship to attend secondary school?

YesNo

How much of your tuition did the scholarship cover?

Enter the percent of total tuition covered by your scholarship. For example, if your tuition is R100 and you received R10 in scholarship funds, you would write 10%

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

List the top 4 achievement awards, honors or recognition you have received in the past 4 years. Indicate the level of achievement, year received, and a brief description for each award.

Achievement 1

Name of Award or Achievement

Level of Achievement

Year Received

Provide a brief description of the Achievement or Award

Achievement 2

Name of Award or Achievement

Level of Achievement

Year Received

Provide a brief description of the Achievement or Award

Achievement 3

Name of Award or Achievement

Level of Achievement

Year Received

Provide a brief description of the Achievement or Award

Achievement 4

Name of Award or Achievement

Level of Achievement

Year Received

Provide a brief description of the Achievement or Award

JOB EXPERIENCE

If you have been employed, please complete the following information about your job.

Job/Position

Employer

Average hours worked per week

What skills or experiences have you learned from your job and how will you apply this to your future career?

UNIVERSITY FIELD OF STUDY

UCT Programme to which you have applied

Duration (in years) of programme to which you have applied

What influenced your decision to apply to this programme?

Faculty Points Score (FPS)

ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Please provide information about additional scholarships to which you have applied.

Scholarship 1

Name of the Scholarship

Scholarship Award Amount

Enter the amount without symbols or spaces. Example: R 10 000,00 would be entered as 10000.

Is the Scholarship confirmed?

YesNo

Scholarship 2

Name of the Scholarship

Scholarship Award Amount

Enter the amount without symbols or spaces. Example: R 10 000,00 would be entered as 10000.

Is the Scholarship confirmed?

YesNo

SHORT ESSAYS

Complete a short essay (250-750 words) for each of the prompts below. Upload each essay in a separate document.

The essays should reflect your experience in your own voice. Essays will be reviewed using AI (Artificial Intelligence) detection. Applications that are found to have used AI to write their essays will be disqualified.

Each Essay should be saved and uploaded as a separate file.
Only Word and PDF files will be accepted.

Essay 1: All good leaders fail. Each mistake teaches us something. Describe a time you failed in some way and what you learned from it.

Essay 2: What would you like to see happen to your country in the next 50 years and how do you see yourself participating?

Essay 3: Where have you seen leadership demonstrated and what made that person stand out as a leader to you?

Essay 4: Describe a significant challenge you've encountered in your life. What made it difficult, how did you deal with it, and how has it shaped who you are today? Note: We understand that financial need is a shared experience for all Gallagher Foundation Scholarship candidates. For this essay, we encourage you to reflect on other types of personal challenges you have faced and how you have dealt with them.

DOCUMENT UPLOADS

Only Word, PDF or JPG files will be accepted.

Letter of Recommendation: Request a letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your leadership abilities. References from relatives or family members will not be accepted.

ACADEMIC RESULTS

Grade 10 Official Results

Grade 11 Official Results

Grade 12 Mid-Year Exam Results

National Benchmark Test (NBT) scores (if available)

PROOF OF INCOME REQUIREMENTS

NOTE: Household income will be confirmed and verified with UCT. If UCT reports that your yearly household income is above our maximum requirement, you will not be eligible for the scholarship.

If parent/guardian is employed by a company, the following is required:

Salary/wage slips

If parent/guardian is an informal trader/hawker, the following is required:

Proof of income
Bond Statement and Council rates account OR a copy of the Lease agreement if renting accommodation

If parent/guardian is a member of a CC/PTY (LTD) and/or Sole Proprietor, complete financial statements signed by members and person(s) drawing up the statements, including the following are required:

An income statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow statement, Notes, IT14-Tax return for the business (last 2 years)
A copy of their IT34A in respect of the Financial Year which ended February 2024
The statement of Personal Assets and Liabilities (last 2 years)
Personal Bond Statement

If parent/guardian is unemployed, the following is required:

Official letter from the Department of Labour proving unemployed status and/or Letter of Retrenchment or Dismissal
Bond statement and Council rate account OR a copy of the Lease agreement if renting accommodation
Proof of how the family is being supported financially
If parent/guardian receives income such as pension/maintenance/interest from investment, proof thereof.

PARENT/GUARDIAN 1 PROOF OF INCOME

Parent/Guardian 1 Proof of Income

Parent/Guardian 1 Additional Proof of Income

PARENT/GUARDIAN 2 PROOF OF INCOME

Parent/Guardian 2 Proof of Income

Parent/Guardian 2 Additional Proof of Income

MAILING ADDRESS

Please provide your home mailing address.

Street Name and Number

Suburb/Township/Village

City

Province

Country

Postal Code

CANDIDATE AGREEMENT

Please complete the following statements.

I understand that if selected as a Scholar, the Gallagher Foundation will provide four years of funding (six years for Scholars in medical programs).

I understand that if selected as a Scholar, the Gallagher Foundation scholarship will become my primary source of university funding.

I understand that if selected as a Scholar, I will be required to attain a minimum grade point average (55% in my first year and 60% each other year) while at UCT.

I understand that applicants that are found to have used AI to write their application essays will be disqualified.

I understand that any misrepresentation of my experiences, achievements, activities, financial status, or background is prohibited and will disqualify me from this scholarship.

Thank you for completing your application to the Gallagher Foundation Scholarship Program.

For additional information on the Gallagher Foundation Scholarship selection timeline, please visit our website at https://gallagherfoundation.org.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@gallagherfoundation.org.

To submit your application, click on the SUBMIT button below.
Once the application is submitted, no changes to the application will be accepted.