South African Veterinary Fund (SAVF) Bursary

Background on our Bursaries

The South African Veterinary Foundation has been supporting a 4th and 5th year veterinary student financially since 1999 when K Eason and GL van Blerk each received R5000.  To date 36 veterinary students have received bursaries to a total value of R235 500 and the current bursary value is R10 000.  The bursaries have been funded from the Pet Memorial Fund as well as from 2002 by a generous donation each year from veterinary wholesaler Lakato (Pty) Ltd represented by the managing director, Mr Stuart Fyffe.  In 2017 The Professional Provident Society gave bursaries and in 2018 Mercantile Bank sponsored two bursaries.  Our sincere thanks are extended to Lakato, the PPS and Mercantile Bank for their assistance in educating veterinary students.

Whilst the bursaries only cover a small amount of the annual expense of studying veterinary science they do make a difference.  The bursaries are allocated to students who actively partake in campus student activities and with good academic achievements and are presented with no repayment obligation.  We only hope that past recipients who are currently in practice will support the Pet Memorial Fund so we can help more students.

With increasing costs of studying veterinary science and greater numbers of financially challenged students there is a constant request for student bursaries and the Foundation has thus established a bursary fund.  The Foundation can then make ad hoc bursaries available if special requests are received from vets or related organisations, as well as make more regular bursaries available for veterinary and nursing students.

The Foundation thus challenges members of the public, individual veterinarians or multiperson practices to make a once-off, or regular donation to the SAVF bursary fund, or to consider the bursary fund in their will.  Additionally SAVA branches and Groups can also donate some of their accumulated funds or profits from mini-congresses to the bursary fund. Vets in industry and their companies can also consider making donations to the fund as part of their corporate social responsibilities.  Any donations will be acknowledged on the website if required.  These donations are tax deductible and donors will receive an 18A tax receipt.  Qualified veterinarians and veterinary nurses have been privileged to receive a good veterinary education in South Africa – let us consider those that have limited financial means to achieve their dreams to become a veterinarian or veterinary nurse.