The Crystal Donna Roberts Bursary has been established in honour of Crystal Donna Roberts and the legacy she leaves within the South African arts landscape.
We hope this bursary will serve as a meaningful tribute to Crystal Donna Roberts by ensuring that her legacy continues to open doors, create opportunities, and support another person on their creative and academic journey. There is something deeply moving in the idea that remembrance can give rise to opportunity, and that even in loss, renewal may still emerge.
The bursary is intended to support a prospective postgraduate student who wishes to pursue further study in an arts-related field within The Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS).
The bursary is conceived as a need-and-merit bursary, recognising both the applicant’s potential and their financial circumstances. Preference may therefore be given to applicants for whom financial support would make a meaningful difference in their ability to pursue postgraduate studies.
Applications open on 4 August 2026.
Applications close on 30 September 2026.
Following the selection process, the successful applicant will be announced on 13 October 2026, commemorating the birthday of Crystal Donna Roberts.
The Crystal Donna Roberts Bursary is a postgraduate bursary established in honour of Crystal Donna Roberts. It is intended to support a student who wishes to pursue postgraduate study in an arts-related field within The Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Free State.
The bursary was created to honour Crystal Donna Roberts' legacy and to invest in the next generation of artists, thinkers, researchers, makers, and cultural practitioners. It serves both as a tribute to her life and work and as a practical means of creating an opportunity for further study in the arts.
Crystal Donna Roberts was a celebrated South African actress whose life and work left a significant mark on the country's artistic landscape. Her legacy reflects artistic excellence, dedication, resilience, and a commitment to creative expression.
The bursary is intended for prospective postgraduate students who wish to pursue an arts-related postgraduate qualification within The Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Free State.
A prospective postgraduate student is someone who intends to enrol for postgraduate study and who meets the admission requirements of the relevant postgraduate programme at the University of the Free State.
The bursary supports postgraduate study in arts-related disciplines within The Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Free State.
No. Although the bursary is named in honour of Crystal Donna Roberts, it is intended to support postgraduate study across a broad range of arts-related disciplines.
Yes. The bursary is open to both current postgraduate students and prospective postgraduate students, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.
Yes. However, applicants must be eligible for admission to a postgraduate programme at the University of the Free State and must provide proof that they have applied for or been accepted into such a programme.
Yes. The bursary aims not only to recognise talent, potential, and commitment, but also to assist applicants facing financial barriers to postgraduate study.
No. The bursary is a need-and-merit bursary. Financial need forms part of the assessment process, but applicants will also be evaluated on their potential, motivation, achievements, and intended contribution to the arts.
A need-and-merit bursary considers both:
Neither financial need nor merit alone determines the outcome.
Applications open on 4 August 2026.
Subject to the availability of funding, one bursary will be awarded for the 2027 academic year.
Applications must be submitted via the official online application form on the Vrystaat Arts Festival webpage.
Applicants must submit the following:
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications close on 30 September 2026 at 23:59 (SAST).
Late applications will not be considered.
No. Applicants must still meet all admission requirements of the relevant postgraduate programme at the University of the Free State. The bursary application is separate from the university's admissions process.
Applicants should, at a minimum, have applied for postgraduate study at UFS. Applicants must provide one of the following:
No. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee that an applicant will receive the bursary.
Applications will be assessed by a screening committee, which will consider:
The Crystal Donna Roberts Bursary is a postgraduate bursary established in honour of Crystal Donna Roberts. It is intended to support a student who wishes to pursue postgraduate study in an arts-related field within The Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Free State.
The bursary was created to honour Crystal Donna Roberts' legacy and to invest in the next generation of artists, thinkers, researchers, makers, and cultural practitioners. It serves both as a tribute to her life and work and as a practical means of creating an opportunity for further study in the arts.
Crystal Donna Roberts was a celebrated South African actress whose life and work left a significant mark on the country's artistic landscape. Her legacy reflects artistic excellence, dedication, resilience, and a commitment to creative expression.
The bursary is intended for prospective postgraduate students who wish to pursue an arts-related postgraduate qualification within The Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Free State.
A prospective postgraduate student is someone who intends to enrol for postgraduate study and who meets the admission requirements of the relevant postgraduate programme at the University of the Free State.
The bursary supports postgraduate study in arts-related disciplines within The Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Free State.
No. Although the bursary is named in honour of Crystal Donna Roberts, it is intended to support postgraduate study across a broad range of arts-related disciplines.
Yes. The bursary is open to both current postgraduate students and prospective postgraduate students, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.
Yes. However, applicants must be eligible for admission to a postgraduate programme at the University of the Free State and must provide proof that they have applied for or been accepted into such a programme.
Yes. The bursary aims not only to recognise talent, potential, and commitment, but also to assist applicants facing financial barriers to postgraduate study.
No. The bursary is a need-and-merit bursary. Financial need forms part of the assessment process, but applicants will also be evaluated on their potential, motivation, achievements, and intended contribution to the arts.
A need-and-merit bursary considers both:
Neither financial need nor merit alone determines the outcome.
Applications open on 4 August 2026.
Subject to the availability of funding, one bursary will be awarded for the 2027 academic year.
Applications must be submitted via the official online application form on the Vrystaat Arts Festival webpage.
Applicants must submit the following:
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications close on 30 September 2026 at 23:59 (SAST).
Late applications will not be considered.
No. Applicants must still meet all admission requirements of the relevant postgraduate programme at the University of the Free State. The bursary application is separate from the university's admissions process.
Applicants should, at a minimum, have applied for postgraduate study at UFS. Applicants must provide one of the following:
No. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee that an applicant will receive the bursary.
Applications will be assessed by a screening committee, which will consider:
