Funding
NSFAS & Bursaries: Funding Your 2027 Studies
How NSFAS funding works alongside your VUT application, plus other bursaries worth applying for early.
Read more →2027 Intake · Inspiring Thought, Shaping Talent
Founded in 1966 in Vanderbijlpark and awarded full university status in 2004, VUT serves around 21,000 students across its Gauteng campuses and satellite sites. Here's exactly what you need to apply for 2027, and by when.


About the university
Vaal University of Technology began life in 1966 as the Vaal Triangle College for Advanced Technical Education, becoming the Vaal Triangle Technikon in 1979 and gaining full university status as VUT in 2004. Today it is one of the largest residential universities of technology in South Africa, with an annual enrolment of around 21,000 students drawn from across the country and from around 25 other countries.
VUT offers industry-tailored, ECSA-accredited academic programmes through four faculties, and is based primarily in Vanderbijlpark in South Africa's industrial heartland, alongside major petro-chemical, steel, engineering, telecommunications and manufacturing employers.
Good to know
VUT's Admission Point Score (APS) is calculated from your six best subjects in your final school year, excluding Life Orientation. Most diploma programmes require a minimum APS of around 21, though some, like the Diploma in Computer Systems Engineering, require higher scores and specific subject levels — check your target programme's exact requirement before applying.
Plan ahead
VUT applies separate closing dates for national and international applicants, and a handful of high-demand programmes close much earlier — always check your specific programme before you wait.
The VUT online application portal opens for first-year applicants applying for the 2027 academic year.
The B.Ed in Senior Phase and FET Teaching, along with diplomas including Safety Management, Information Technology, Logistics, Policing and Human Resources, typically close on this earlier date.
International applicants close on 30 September 2026; national applicants close on 30 October 2026. Late applications are rarely accepted, and only if space remains.
The official VUT prospectus and website may list additional, programme-specific deadlines — always verify directly.
Online only
VUT applications are submitted online, with a non-refundable application fee that for 2027 must be paid through the application portal before your application can be submitted.
Checklist
Costs
Where you could study

Faculty
Computer science, biotechnology, environmental science and other technical, problem-solving-focused programmes.
Faculty
ECSA-accredited civil, electrical, mechanical and related engineering programmes based mainly in Vanderbijlpark.
Faculty
Education, language, safety management and social-science-related programmes with strong practical grounding.
Faculty
Business, logistics, human resources and public management programmes with an entrepreneurial focus.
Main campus, science park and regional sites
Main campus with the university's library, lecture halls, laboratories and administration.
Southern Gauteng Science and Technology Park, an extension of the main campus with room for expansion.
Regional campus serving students in Mpumalanga.
Regional campus extending access within Gauteng.
Regional campus serving students in the Northern Cape.
Keep reading
A few extra resources worth going through before and after you apply.

Funding
How NSFAS funding works alongside your VUT application, plus other bursaries worth applying for early.
Read more →
Careers
Explore NMU courses, applications and admission requirements. Find campuses, courses and application details in one place.
Read more →
Study material
Free past papers and study notes to help push your APS score up before final results are released.
Read more →
Student life
Public colleges focused on practical skills and occupational training — electrical engineering, nursing, or hospitality.
Read more →Common questions
Applications open on 21 May 2026. National applicants close on 30 October 2026, and international applicants close on 30 September 2026. A number of programmes — including the B.Ed in Senior Phase and FET Teaching, and diplomas such as Safety Management, Information Technology, Logistics and Human Resources — close earlier, on 31 July 2026. Always confirm the exact date for your programme.
R110, non-refundable, required from all applicants for the 2027 academic year. For 2027, payment must be completed on the online application portal before you can submit your application.
Your six best subjects from your final school year are added together, excluding Life Orientation. Most diplomas require a minimum APS of around 21, with some programmes needing higher scores.
VUT's main campus is in Vanderbijlpark, southern Gauteng, with an additional site at the Southern Gauteng Science and Technology Park in Sebokeng, plus regional campuses serving Secunda, Ekurhuleni (Daveyton) and Upington. It's one of the largest residential universities of technology in South Africa.
Four faculties: Applied and Computer Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Human Sciences, and Management Sciences.
Get your documents ready and submit your Vaal University of Technology application before your programme's closing date.
Apply to VUT Now →