Built for South Africa’s missing middle

Choosing what to study shouldn't bankrupt your family.

You earn too much for NSFAS, too little for university to feel safe. Dharma Pathways gives you four free tools to weigh the real cost, the real risk, and the real fit of every post-school path — before you commit.

Public beta: Dharma Pathways is being tested with South African families. Use it as decision support, then verify fees, admission rules, accreditation and funding directly before applying, borrowing or paying deposits.

Start with a 2-minute Reality Check →See all tools

Why this exists

The advice you are given assumes you can either pay full price or qualify for full funding. Most families can do neither.

If your household earns roughly R 350,000 to R 600,000 a year, you are caught in the gap. Bursary applications screen you out. Banks happily offer student loans you will struggle to repay. School counsellors steer everyone toward the same three universities. Meanwhile, no one tells you what an Honours actually costs once you add accommodation, data, and a working laptop — or that a TVET pathway might earn more, sooner, with less debt.

Dharma Pathways was built to fill that gap with honest numbers and clear comparisons. No institution pays us. No referral fees. No hidden agenda.

How to use Dharma Pathways

Start with the question you actually have.

You do not need to understand the whole education system before using the site. Pick the entry point that sounds most like you.

I am a parent or guardian

You are probably asking whether the family can carry the cost without breaking the household.

Start with Reality Check.
Then run True Cost using the most likely option.
Print the final report before paying deposits.

Start with affordability →

I am a student

You may know what you like, but not whether the route is realistic, fundable or worth the risk.

Start with Career Fit.
Check readiness against your marks.
Compare a degree route against a safer alternative.

Start with fit →

I am from a school or NGO

Use the tools as a structured conversation guide with learners and families.

Use Reality Check for household context.
Use Route Compare for option counselling.
Use the final report as a take-home discussion sheet.

Open the toolkit →

No login requiredUse the tools without creating an account or entering an ID number.

Private by defaultYour answers stay in your browser unless you choose to email them to us.

IndependentNo referral fees from universities, colleges, lenders or bursary providers.

Built for SAMissing-middle pressure, TVET routes, NSFAS thresholds and local pathway realities are built in.

Four tools, one decision

A guided sequence — not another brochure.

Each tool builds on the last. Use them in order for the strongest report, or jump to the question keeping you up at night.

— Step 01

Reality Check

How much pressure is your household actually under? A two-minute snapshot of income, dependents, and existing commitments.

Take the check →

— Step 02

True Cost Calculator

Tuition is rarely more than half the bill. Add accommodation, food, transport, devices, and data.

Calculate the truth →

— Step 03

Route Compare

Place two paths side-by-side and see which one is genuinely safer for your situation.

Compare two routes →

— Step 04

Career Fit Check

The cheapest path is worthless if it leads somewhere you will quit in two years.

Find your fit →

What early users found

Ten families. Five recurring moments of "oh — we hadn't thought about that."

Honest disclosure:Dharma Pathways was tested with ten South African families before public launch — including the founders' own families and close relatives. As we collect named feedback from public users, we will publish that too.

— 01

“The tools made hidden costs visible — food, housing, transport — not just tuition.”