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Dear Robyn

Getting a bursary in your situation is likely to be a challenge. Unfortunately, private higher education institutions are not usually able to offer bursaries. However, having said that, there is no harm in contacting City Varsity to see if they have any bursaries or financial assistance programs.

We also suggest you hang onto your job as a waitron and consider correspondence study through the University of South Africa (UNISA). See their website for details: www.unisa.ac.za. This will allow you to earn while you learn. Also try finding an entry level job in the media world which will enable you to work and continue to study through UNISA. To improve your chances of getting an entry level job, you could also consider getting a secretarial or PA part-time qualification through your local FET College – these skills are never wasted – PA and secretarial jobs can pay quite well and still give you time to study part-time.

Also explore the world of media learnerships to see if there is anything on offer at the moment. For a general overview of learnerships consult the Department of Labour website http://www.labour.gov.za/documents/useful-documents/skills-development/ and access the following guides:
• A learnership guide for unemployed people
• Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)
• Registered learnerships by SETA

Specifically explore the Media, Advertising, Publishing, Printing and Packaging Sector Education and Training Authority (MAPPP SETA: mappp-seta.co.za) to see if they have any suitable learnerships.