The University of Pretoria (UP) recently hosted an event at the Javett-UP Art Centre to celebrate students who received bursaries from the Hillensberg Trust in the fields of visual arts, music, technology and medicine.

The trust has contributed R12.6 million in bursaries to UP since 2017, funding 108 students, 18 of whom have graduated. One bursar, in his fifth consecutive year of Hillensberg Trust bursary funding, is studying towards a PhD degree in music. Other graduates include dental surgeons, medical doctors, and visual and fine artists.

“The late founding donor, Leo Karl Dreissen, was passionate about music and art,” said Lynne Fišer, grant-making administrator of the Hillensberg Trust. “That is why the trust offers bursaries for courses within the fields of visual arts, music, technology and medicine, as prescribed in the Deed of Trust. This is a hand-up bursary not a hand-out. We would like to wish the recipients all the best with their studies. The Hillensberg Trust bursary is an asset earned by each one of you and an advantage on your curriculum vitae.”

Professor Vanessa Steenkamp, Deputy Dean of Teaching and Learning in UP’s Faculty of Health Sciences, thanked the trust for its continuous support.

“This is incredible – I would like to thank the Hillensberg Trust for increasing the support for our students,” she said. “We are grateful for the change you make to the lives of our students. I would like to urge the recipients to study hard and pass, and when they complete their qualifications and start working, they must pay it forward and give back – that is what makes the world a better place.”

Dr Kgadi Mathabathe, Deputy Director of Academic Development at UP, indicated that the University previously had donors who funded students and were under the impression that it was enough to only fund a student’s tuition fees.

“We lose a lot of students, especially in their first year,” Dr Mathabathe said. “There is so much that needs to happen to retain them in the system until the end. We could see that money is not enough – we realised that students need mentorship, counselling services and academic advisors, especially first-generation students who do not have the vocabulary.”

Wrap-around services is a growing concept, she added. This refers to interpersonal services and interventions that provide more holistic support for a student. 

“At UP, we do not want to use the term wrap-around services merely as a tagline – we aim to live it,” Dr Mathabathe said.

Addressing the room, which was filled with more than 30 bursars, doctoral music student James Paradza offered a vote of thanks.

“All of us have expressed our gratitude in different ways, but words cannot describe how grateful we are to the Hillensberg Trust,” he said. “You are making dreams come true, without us having the burden of worrying about financial aid to further our studies. On behalf of all the students and those who could not join us, we offer a heartfelt thank you to the Hillensberg Trust. I trust that we will go out there and make the world a better place.”