INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The world is now a global village and we are proud to be part of that, having housed and taught students from 47 different countries so far!

We provide residence accommodation for over 250 men and women (including limited shared accommodation for married students) in our comfortable college houses, which have lounges, chapels, sundecks and a laundry.

We welcome students to our College from all nationalities, but there are a few rules which you will need to take note of. Make sure you know exactly what it will take to study abroad at Helderberg College of Higher Education and contact the Admissions Office if something is not clear.

Once you have been accepted at Helderberg College of Higher Education, you will receive an official acceptance letter which will tell you the fees due to the College. When we have received your payment, you will get a letter of authorization from Helderberg College of Higher Education. You will need this letter to apply for a study visa.

You must submit your study visa application to the nearest South African Embassy or Office of the Representative of the Republic of South Africa in your home country. It is important to allow enough time for the visa application process, as it may take about six to eight weeks for your student visa to be issued.

The government of South Africa requires that international students be in possession of a valid Helderberg College of Higher Education Study Visa before they are able to register at the College. Please contact the College for more information on the visa application process. The College can only register international students if they are in possession of a valid study visa. International students are required to study on a full-time basis, the equivalent of 60 credits per semester. Your study visa may be cancelled in the following cases:  

  • If you are absent for more than 15% of your classes without valid reasons
  • If you withdraw from the College. In this case, you will be required to leave South Africa within seven days
  • If you come late for registration, you will need to return to your country, as you will unfortunately not be admitted after official registration is closed.

DEPOSIT FOR VISA LETTER

All foreign students should pay R15 000 as a deposit to receive an admission letter to apply for a study visa to South Africa, which will be offset against his/her fees upon registration.

REGISTRATION FEE

  1. A non-refundable registration fee of R1 430 is payable upon registration per semester.
    Registration commences on 22 January 2024 (1 st Semester) and 24 June 2024 (2 nd Semester).
  2. An additional fee for late registration will be charged:
    First Semester:
    5 – 14 February 2024* = R 1 540
    Second Semester:
    8-17 July 2024* = R 1 540

*Final late registration closes at 17:00. Last day to drop/add/change modules. Students may not join classes after this date.

PAYMENT OF FEES

1. Full Payment in Advance

A student who pays for the semester in full before classes commence in January 2024 will receive a 5% discount on the total tuition fee for the semester. Similarly, a student who pays in advance before classes commence for the second semester in July 2024 will also receive a 5% discount on the total semester tuition fee.

2. Full Payment before 15 December 2023 (New students only)

A student who pays for the 2024 first semester in full before 15 December 2023 will be charged at 2023 rates (a 5% reduction on the 2024 tuition fees) and will also receive a 5% discount for paying before classes commence in 2024 (see point 1 above). In addition, since the student will therefore have registered in 2023, the registration fee (R1430 per semester) will be waived. This payment option is equivalent in total to a discount of approximately 15%. A student may pay for just the first semester or the full year (1st and 2nd semesters) utilising this discount option.

3. Discount

A 5% discount will be given to South African students if the semester tuition fees are paid within the first week of the academic year.

4. Payment Options:

Returning students must settle their accounts before they register.

For students who cannot pay the full amount in advance the following payment options are available:

Monthly Payment Plan:

      1. Tuition: For the January 2024 intake, an initial payment of R5000 (for degrees) or R3000 (for Foundation and Higher Certificate) is payable before or at registration. The balance of the fees will be divided into a 10-month payment plan, from February to November and will be accomplished via a debit order. The debit order amount may need to be slightly adjusted in July 2024 according to the student’s second semester credit load.
      2. Accommodation: For the January 2024 intake, an initial payment of 10% of the annual boarding fees is payable before or at registration (please see point 8 Accommodation Fees above). The balance of the fees will be divided into a 10-month payment plan, from February to November and will be accomplished via a debit order.
        Note that tuition and accommodation monthly payments will be calculated as a single monthly debit order.

For those who do not wish to use the monthly payment plan, the following options apply.

      1.  Students with 5 or more modules must pay R15 000 to register for tuition (includes registration fee), or R21 000 (if also residing in the dormitories) upon registration.
      2. Students with less than 4 modules must pay the registration fee (R1430), 50% of the tuition fee and (if residing in the dormitories) 50% of boarding fees upon registration each semester.

5. Interest

Interest at a rate of 0.5% per month will be levied on any accounts older than 30 days.

6. Payments are not dependent on receipt of a statement of account.

7. Credit

All credit balances are to remain on students’ accounts until a student graduates or withdraws from the College. The credit balance will then be returned to the original depositor.

8. Non Financial Clearance

Should the College de-register the student due to non-financial clearance, the tuition and boarding fee where applicable will be calculated on a prorated basis to the day the student leaves campus.

MATRICULATION EQUIVALENCE:

Matriculation equivalence means exemption in accordance with the rules of the Matriculation Board of South Africa.

O – Level Passes

Foreign applicants who have:

Five Ordinary level passes with grades A-C or 1-3, may qualify for admissions into a Higher Certificate qualification. Alternatively, they qualify to do the Foundation Year, and upon successful completion of this bridging year, they may qualify for admission to a degree programme, on condition that they meet all other requirements of the appropriate degree (in the prospectus).

Foreign applicants who are 23 years and older may qualify for admission to degree programmes if they have four Ordinary level subject passes with grades A-C or 1-3, of which the examinations have been completed in one sitting and of which English must be one of the subjects that have been passed. In addition, these applicants need to meet all other requirements of the appropriate degree as specified in the prospectus. They will also need to apply to Universities South Africa (www.universitiessa.ac.za) for an exemption certificate.

You may request an evaluation of your High School grades by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Forms and information to do this are available via the SAQA website, www.saqa.org.za, or from the Admissions Office.

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

International students who have not received their High School education in English must show evidence of having satisfactorily completed the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of at least 550 (paper-based test), or 213 (computer-based test), before proceeding to Helderberg College of Higher Education. You can obtain details of examination times and locations from the TOEFL website (www.ets.org).

If you are a prospective student who does not present the necessary TOEFL score, you will need to take classes at the English Language Institute at Helderberg College of Higher Education. You will be allowed to continue your studies after passing a language test at the end of the term/semester/year, and receiving a recommendation from the ELI.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

You must complete an application form, as well as the required documentation. Applications which are submitted without all the necessary documentation are not processed. Submitted documents, ID and qualifications must be scanned and certified. No pictures are allowed. After you have submitted this form to the College for evaluation, you will receive an official response.

If you are accepted for admission, you will first receive a provisional acceptance letter, stating your acceptance and indicating the fees you must pay, before full acceptance is granted.

Once you have paid your fees, you will receive a letter of full acceptance and a letter to the embassy where you will apply for a visa, indicating full payment and full acceptance. Once you receive this letter, you may apply for your study visa.