Registration and orientation

Researched by the VarsityStart team from official university sources. Last checked 10 October 2026. How we check

Each campus (Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, Vanderbijlpark) runs its own registration and orientation (R&O) programme, with a campus welcoming day, a main orientation, a faculty welcoming day and a university welcoming event.
No provisional registration. Students who have not paid the minimum or confirmed alternative funding go into a registration hold group. There are routes around this, though:
- Postponement: log a request for postponement of the minimum first payment through the Helpdesk menu on the student portal.
- Bursary students: upload proof of the bursary under My Documents, showing what it covers and the payment date.
- Loan-funded students: pay the minimum first payment from the loan within 14 calendar days of registration, or registration is terminated.
In 2026 the final registration date for first-time entering students was Sunday 22 February at 22:00, and some programmes closed once capacity was reached.