In recognition of Professor Cheryl de la Rey’s contribution to the University of Pretoria, the University is proud to announce that the Tuks Scholarship Fund will henceforth be known as The Professor Cheryl de la Rey Scholarship Fund.

Prof De la Rey has served UP as Vice-Chancellor and Principal since 2009 and will take up a new post as Vice-Chancellor of New Zealand’s University of Canterbury.

The Professor Cheryl de la Rey Scholarship Fund is a payroll giving campaign that enables UP staff and the public (through debit orders and once-off donations) to make contributions towards full scholarships for academically deserving students. Student organisations have also donated, and there is growing support within the alumni community.

The fund was established as the Tuks Scholarship Fund in 2013 as a strategic, long-term plan to help open the doors of learning and discovery to students whose financial situation would otherwise prevent them from graduating from – or even attending – the University of Pretoria. The fund offers full-cover scholarships to deserving students, and covers fees, books, transport, accommodation, meals, and a spending stipend. Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Cheryl de la Rey, who was one of the fund’s most passionate supporters, became the first to donate to it.

Melosi Baloyi, who is now a UP graduate and actuarial scientist, is one of the recipients who’s benefited from the fund. “I have always been a dreamer,” he says. “Even at a young age I always thought I would break barriers and be the first member of my family to go to university and be a business leader.” The road to becoming an actuary was not an easy one, though. Like most first-generation university students, he faced severe financial constraints. The Baloyi family did not have access to the internet, which meant he could not communicate via email. He also could not afford airtime to call and hold on long enough to make enquiries at universities. The odds were stacked against him, but his hard work and determination resulted in a ‘miracle’ when he was accepted at UP, and was provided with financial assistance via the then Tuks Scholarship Fund. “There are many rough diamonds out there struggling to get into university, an acceptance that moulds them to become influential figures nationally and internationally. Your support could help unearth these unpolished diamonds and help them showcase their greatness,” Baloyi says.

After Prof De la Rey became the first donor to the fund in 2013, many staff members followed suit. As we rename the fund in her honour, the University would like to repeat its call to friends of UP, industry partners, parents of students, and members of the public to donate to the fund, which supports deserving students across all nine UP faculties.

To be a part of changing a young person’s life and make a difference in empowering South African youth to achieve their potential, please donate generously.

Banking details: The Professor Cheryl de la Rey Scholarship Fund

Account name: University of Pretoria

Bank: ABSA Bank

Account number: 2140000038

Branch code: 632005

SWIFT code: ABSAZAJJCPT

Reference: S0V468/3600

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