Funza Lushaka bursary for 2023

The following must be read before making an application for a Funza Lushaka bursary for 2023

• 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.
• Allocation of Funza Lushaka bursaries to Higher Education Institution employees, their spouse and their dependents/children is not permissible.
• 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.
• This 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.

Programmes to be funded

Two types of qualifications can be funded as shown below. The qualification must include subjects which will allow the student to specialise as a teacher in at least two priority subject areas (see next section below).

Undergraduate studies

4-year Bachelor of Education degree (BEd), specialising in one of the following:

• Foundation Phase (Grade R – 3),
• Intermediate Phase (Grade 4 – 6)
• Senior and Further Education and Training Teaching (Grade 7-12).

Graduate studies

One-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) for graduates whose degrees reflect two priority subjects where one module/course was successfully completed or studied at third year level while the second priority subject was successfully completed or studied at second year level.

NB. Only the PGCE for Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching (SPFET) (Grade 7-12) will be funded through the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme.

Selection criteria

Selection criteria include the following:

• The bursary is only awarded to South African citizens with a valid South African ID number;
• The applicant should demonstrate good academic ability;
• Applicants should be 30 years and below to qualify for the Funza Lushaka Bursary
• Allocation of Funza Lushaka bursaries to Higher Education Institution employees, their spouse and their dependents/children is not permissible.
• The Funza Lushaka bursary does not fund extended programmes.
• The applicant must be accepted into an approved B.Ed. degree or PGCE programme to specialise in two or more of the priority subject 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; readiness to face and surmount difficult challenges with integrity.
• The applicant must be committed to teach in any school to which a student may be placed by a Provincial Education Department (PED).

Students must meet the minimum academic criteria for award of the bursary:

For 1st time entrants to university:

• An exemption, endorsement, or ‘admission to bachelor degree studies’ pass at matric/Grade 12 level.
• At least a level 4 pass at matric level in the two subjects which the applicant will specialise to teach.
• For students who wish to specialise in the Foundation Phase, a Level 2 pass in Mathematics or Level 4 pass in Mathematical Literacy at Grade 12 level is required. In addition, at least a level 4 pass in the Home Language is required.
• For students who wish to specialise in the Intermediate Phase, a Level 2 pass in Mathematics or Level 4 pass in Mathematical Literacy at Grade 12 level is required. In addition, at least a level 4 pass in the Home Language is required.
• Students who wish to specialize in the teaching of Technology subjects, including CAT, and who do not have these subjects at matric level, must have at least a level 4 pass in Mathematics or Technical Mathematics.
• If the institution’s admission requirements are higher than the bursary requirement and vice versa then the higher requirement will apply

For new applicants already at university:

• The student must have passed all of the modules studied in the year prior to the bursary application at the Higher Education Institution.
• At least a 55% average across all the modules studied in the applicant’s last year of study at a Higher Education Institution. 

For new applicants enrolling for PGCE:

• The student must have successfully completed a recognized qualification that qualifies him/her to be admitted for a PGCE.
• Only the PGCE for Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching (SPFET) (Grade 7-12) will be funded through the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme.
• To be considered for the PGCE in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training teaching the student must have two priority subjects where one module/course was successfully completed or studied at third year level while the second priority subject was successfully completed or studied at second year level.
• The student must have sufficient modules in the identified priority subjects to qualify to teach it as a subject at school.

NB. Applicants must note that these are minimum criteria. Meeting these criteria does not mean automatic acceptance for the bursary. There are a limited number of bursaries available, and the best students will be selected for the bursary.

What the bursary covers:

Funza Lushaka bursaries cover most of the recipient’s essential expenses. Expenses covered include tuition fees, accommodation including meals, books and learning materials, teaching practice and if possible a small allowance for monthly living expenses. The allocation to any individual student is capped at a specific value. Where the university charges more than the capped value the bursars will have to top up from their own funds. Universities have different cost structures, so the total value of a bursary differs from institution to institution.

Obligations:

Recipients of these bursaries will be required to teach at a public school for the same number of years that they received the bursary. No repayment of the bursary is therefore required. Instances where the bursary conditions are not adhered to may require repayment of the bursary. The amount that is repayable is the full amount of the bursary received under the programme, less one year's funding for every year spent teaching at a public school. Interest will be charged at the rate determined by NSFAS.