UNISA Application

UNISA’s application window for the 2027 academic year is now open, and prospective students have a limited period in which to submit before the portal closes. Here’s what you need to know before you apply:

Is UNISA Open For 2027 Applications?

Yes. UNISA has confirmed the following application periods for the 2027 academic year:

Undergraduate qualifications (Higher Certificates, Diplomas & Degrees): 17 August – 9 October 2026
Honours Degrees & Postgraduate Diplomas: 17 August – 9 October 2026
Master’s & Doctoral qualifications: Opens 1 September 2026 – 20 November 2026
Short Learning Programmes (SLPs): Opens 2 November 2026

Applications are submitted entirely online — UNISA no longer offers in-person or self-help station applications at its regional offices.

Does UNISA Have Late Applications?

UNISA does not accept late applications once a qualification’s window has closed. In past cycles, UNISA has reopened a second, limited application window later in the year (for example, from early November to mid-December) for a restricted list of qualifications that still have space.

This is not guaranteed and depends entirely on capacity — popular qualifications are unlikely to reopen. Applying within the main window is the only reliable route in.

How Much Is The Application Fee At UNISA?

The non-refundable application fee is R160 for online applications. A few things worth knowing about it:

You only pay the fee after you’ve received your UNISA student number, not at the point of submitting your form.
It’s a once-off fee that covers your entire application cycle, regardless of how many qualifications you apply for.
It is not refundable, even if you withdraw your application or aren’t accepted.
Returning UNISA students who have paid an application fee before don’t need to pay it again.

Can I Apply To UNISA Without Matric?

For standard admission, no — UNISA’s general admission requirements are based on the National Senior Certificate (Matric) or an equivalent qualification, and this remains unchanged for 2027. However, this isn’t the full picture, and it’s worth understanding your other options before assuming you’re excluded.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

UNISA offers a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route specifically for people who don’t have the formal qualifications a course normally requires, but who have built up relevant knowledge through work and life experience. RPL can be used in two ways:

RPL for access — admission into a qualification you wouldn’t otherwise qualify for, based on your experience rather than your certificates.
RPL for credit — exemption from specific modules if you can demonstrate equivalent prior learning.

To apply via RPL, you generally need to:

Be 23 years or older
Have at least three years of current, relevant work experience in the field you want to study (five years for RPL access to an undergraduate qualification without matric; five years for master’s-level RPL)
Compile a portfolio of evidence — this can include workplace records, informal training certificates, letters from employers, or other proof of your practical competence
Complete UNISA’s online readiness assessment before submitting your RPL application

Your portfolio is assessed by academic staff against the learning outcomes of the specific module or qualification you’re applying for. It’s a genuine route in for people who, for example, have spent a decade working in bookkeeping or retail management but never completed matric — but it does require solid preparation. UNISA recommends starting the RPL process at least three months before your intended registration date, since assessment and feedback take time.

If RPL isn’t the right fit yet, alternative study routes — such as completing an Adult Matric or ICB qualification first — remain valid stepping stones toward formal UNISA admission later.

What Can I Study Without Matric?

There are many courses you can study if you do not have Matric, such as:

Matric programmes
ICB courses
CIMA courses
Short courses

Some of these courses are accredited, and others are non-accredited courses.

In the past, you were also able to study some NATED courses without Matric. However, this is no longer the case. All NATED courses now require Matric to apply.

Matric Programmes

There are Matric programmes available for you to study if you do not have your Matric and would like to get it. Whether you did not get to write your Matric, or you wrote your Matric but failed, or if you passed but are unsatisfied with your results, you can improve or get your Matric online.

There are three Matric programmes:

Matric Rewrite – for students under the age of 21 who wrote Matric and would like to improve their results
Matric Upgrade – for students 21 or older who wrote Matric and would like to improve their results
Adult Matric – for adults 21 and older who have not written their Matric

Matric Rewrite

You can improve your Matric results by doing a Matric Rewrite if you are under the age of 21. You can rewrite a maximum of four subjects, and you must write the subjects you wrote in your Matric final exams. You may not change any subjects.

Matric Upgrade

You can improve your Matric results by doing a Matric Upgrade if you are 21 or older. You can upgrade up to four subjects. You can also choose to change a maximum of four subjects instead. You can apply as early as 19, but you must be 21 to write the exams, because you will write the Adult Matric exams.

Adult Matric

You can get your Matric by doing an Adult Matric Course if you are 21 or older and have not written Matric before. You will get your Senior Certificate (Amended) once you have successfully completed your Adult Matric.

This certificate will function the same way as a National Senior Certificate, known as school Matric. You can use your Adult Matric to apply to further your studies, depending on how well you passed, or to apply for work.

Where Can I Study Matric Programmes?

There are many reputable colleges that offer Matric programmes through distance learning, such as:

ICB Courses

The Institute of Certificate Bookkeepers (ICB) offers three courses through reputable distance learning colleges. Their courses are accredited by ICB and by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).

QCTO accreditation means that they are recognised in South Africa as formal qualifications. ICB is an international organisation, so their qualifications are recognised internationally. ICB courses go up to the Diploma level, and none require Matric to apply.

ICB Course	Entry Requirement	Subject Examples	Career Opportunities with Full Qualification
Financial Accounting	Grade 10 or equivalent	Bookkeeping to Trial Balance (BKTB) Cost and Management Accounting (CMGT) Income Tax Returns (ITRT) Management Accounting Control Systems (MACS)	Financial Accountant Tax Practitioner Tax Consultant
Business Management	Grade 11 or equivalent	Business Management 1 (BMT1) Human Resources Management and Labour Relations (HRLR) Financial Reporting and Regulatory Frameworks (FRRF)	Accounting Officer Business Manager Business Advisor
Office Administration	Matric or Matric Equivalent	Business and Office Administration 1 (BOA1) Human Resources Management and Labour Relations (HRLR) Management (MGMT)	Office Manager Public Relations Manager Administrative Manager

Where Can I Study ICB Courses?

Many distance learning colleges offer ICB courses. Some reputable ones are:

Where Can I Study Short Courses?

Short courses are made to help you develop your workplace skills and to better your CV. It is becoming more common for employers to hire candidates with short course skills, as they have workplace skills.

The short courses offered at the colleges listed below are all open-access. This means the only requirements you must meet to apply are that you must be over the age of 16, and you must be able to understand, read and write in English. You must also be comfortable studying through distance learning, as all courses are offered online only.

Short Courses At Matric College

Short Courses At Skills Academy

Short Courses At Ember Academy

Short Courses At Learning Group

What Have We Learned?

UNISA’s 2027 application window opened on 17 August 2026 and closes 9 October 2026 for undergraduate, honours and postgraduate diploma qualifications
Late applications aren’t accepted, though a limited reopening later in the year is possible
The application fee is R150, non-refundable, paid after you receive your student number
You generally need Matric to apply — but Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) offers a genuine alternative route for applicants 23+ with relevant work experience.
There are many alternative study options available without Matric

Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Sive Ncanywa

Last Updated: 12 August 2026

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