The Funza Lushaka Bursary Program provides fixed bursary allowance that covers student tuition fees, accommodation, meals, learning material, and a R600 monthly stipend to cover basic living expenses.
The Funza Lushaka bursary programme is contextualised within the broad goal of meeting supply and demand needs for high quality teachers in South Africa, with a particular focus on poor and rural schools.
The allocation to an individual student is capped at an agreed average amount in each academic year. Where the higher education institution charges more than the capped value, the bursary beneficiaries will have to top up from their own funds.
It has the overall goal of supplying the education system with well-qualified teachers who are able to teach in nationally identified priority areas, and who upon completion of their funded studies will be available for targeted placement in public school posts.
The Program has subsidised a significant increase in the uptake of initial teacher education programs at universities. In recent years, attention has shifted from a general concern over having a sufficient number of teachers to a concern about having teacher shortages in specific subject areas and school phases.
Read below the following requirements before you apply:
- Should you have a criminal record, charged of misconduct or dismissed from work, kindly note that you are not eligible to apply for this bursary.
- Applicant must have achieved exemption endorsement or admission to bachelor’s degree studies pass at Grade 12.
- Allocation of Funza Lushaka bursaries to Higher Education Institution employees, their spouse and their dependents/children is not permitted.
- Non-disclosure of the information required as stated in 2 above will be treated as fraud.
- Applicants should be 30 years and below to qualify for the Funza Lushaka Bursary.
- Online application is a must, no hard copies are accepted by the programme.
- Please note that those who already have other teaching qualifications do not qualify for this programme.
- Applicant must be a South African citizen.
- The applicant must be accepted into an approved B.Ed. degree or PGCE programme to specialize in two or more of the priority areas.
- The applicant should demonstrate good academic ability.
- The applicant must show commitment to a teaching career, which includes interest
- in working with young people, enthusiasm for a professional career in teaching.
- Applicant must demonstrate readiness to face difficult challenges and personal integrity.
- The applicant must be committed to teach in any school to which a student may be
- placed by a Provincial Education Department (PED).
Please note that beneficiaries who drop out or change their subject selections away from priority area specializations will not be allowed to continue receiving funding and means to recover funds already granted to the candidate will be enforced. To learn more about the Funza Lushaka Bursary scheme CLICK HERE
