Students who desire to become teachers can get funding from the Funza Lushaka Bursary, which is a teaching scholarship. The Department of Basic Education in South Africa is the organization that offers the bursary. It is a multi-year bursary with the objective of assisting public school teachers.

Requirements for the Funza Lusaka Bursary Online Application are as follows:

• Must be 30 years old or younger
• Have no other teaching qualifications
• Must be a South African citizens with a valid South African ID number
• Good academic ability
  •  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, a t least a level 4 pass in the Home Language is required.  
  • For students who wish to specialise in the Intermediate Phase, a Level 4 pass in Mathematics and a level 4 in a Home Language subject and/or a Level 4 pass in Science Subjects 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, IT, and other Technical stream subjects and who do not have these subjects level, must have at least a level 4 pass in Mathematics or Technical Mathematics.
• Must be accepted into an approved B.Ed. degree or PGCE programme to specialise in two or more of the priority subject areas. 
• Must be committed to teach in any school to which a student may be placed by a Provincial Education Department (PED)

What does the Funza Lushaka Bursary Cover?

Successful applicants will have the following covered through the Funza Lushaka bursary:

• Tuition fees
• Accommodation costs (for either residence or approved accommodation)
• Meals
• Small monthly allowance for living expenses
• In exceptional circumstances, traveling costs may be included in the cost of traveling hiders the student from accepting the bursary

Who Can Apply For the Funza Lushaka Bursary?

First lets start by who can NOT apply for Funza Lushaka bursaries.

• If you have a criminal record, if you are charged of misconduct, or if you are dismissed from work, applying for this bursary will be a waste of time.
• Employees from Higher Education Institutions are not allowed to apply for this bursary and neither is their family.
• if you already have some teaching qualifications, you are not allowed to receive this bursary

Besides stating who can not apply, they are also very clear about these guidelines:

• The only to apply is by online application. They will not accept hard copies of printed forms
• If you completed the Funza Lushaka online application, they require you to print it and keep it with you.

Funza Lusaka Bursary Online Application – Apply here 

The Department of Education in South Africa, are inviting students to apply for the prestigious Funza Lusaka Bursary 2026 Online Application.

Each year, students who are studying to become teachers, are invited to apply for the bursary. The Funza Lushaka Bursary will fund 2 types of qualifications (which must include subjects that will allow the student to specialise as a teacher in a minimum of 2 priority subject areas):

Undergraduate studies: a 4-year Bachelor of Education degree (BEd), which specialises in any of the following: Foundation Phase (Grade R to Grade 3), Intermediate Phase (Grade 4 to Grade 6) or Senior and Further Education and Training Teaching (Grade 7 to Grade 12).

Graduate studies: a 1-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) for graduates pursuing degrees with two priority subjects (1 module or course must have been completed or studied at 3rd year level, 1 priority subject must have been completed or studied at 2nd year level)
Only the PGCE for Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching (SPFET) (Grade 7 to Grade 12) will be funded.

Funza Lusaka Bursary 2026 Online Application Procedures

Funza Lushaka Bursary 2026 Online Application. The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme is an everlasting initiative programme that is aimed at promoting teaching as a career. Bursaries are there to help chosen students to finish a teaching qualification in areas where there is a need. These bursaries may enable recipients to teach in a public school for the same number of years that they got the bursary. Funza Lusaka Bursary 2026 Online Application.

Funza Lusaka Bursary Online Application Criteria

All applicants must meet the following criteria:

• You must be a South African citizen
• You must have a valid South African ID number
• You must be 30 years old or younger, if applying for the first time
• You must have been accepted to study towards a BEd degree or PGCE programme, specialising in at least 2 of the priority subject areas (extended programmes are not covered)
• You must have been accepted to study at a recognised tertiary institution in South African
• You must have a strong academic record
• You must be willing to teach at any school, as selected by the Provincial Education Department (PED)
• You must NOT be a Higher Education Institution employees (or a spouse, dependent or child of a Higher Education Institution employee)
• You must be committed and passionate about a career in teaching, including having an interest in working with youth; enthusiasm for teaching; and be willing and ready to face challenges with integrity
• You must NOT have any other teaching qualifications
• You must have a clear criminal record
• You must NOT have any charges of misconduct or have been dismissed from work

First time university entrants must also meet the following criteria:

• You must have achieved a Matric exemption, endorsement or bachelor degree admission
• You must have achieved a minimum of level 4 in Matric for 2 subjects you intend on specialising to teach
• Students who will specialising in Foundation Phase: you must have achieved a minimum level 2 pass for Mathematics OR or level 4 pass for Mathematical Literacy in Matric, AND a minimum of level 4 for your Home Language
• Students who will specialising in Intermediate Phase: you must have achieved a minimum level 2 pass for Mathematics OR or level 4 pass for Mathematical Literacy in Matric, AND a minimum of level 4 for your Home Language
• Students who will specialising in teaching Technology subjects (including CAT), who did not pass these subjects in Matric: you must have achieved a minimum level 4 for Mathematics or Technical Mathematics in Matric

Note: if the tertiary institution’s entry requirements are higher than the bursary requirement, or vice versa, the higher requirement will apply

New students currently at university must also meet the following criteria:

• You must have passed all subjects in past year of tertiary study
• You must have achieved a minimum overall average of 55%, for all subjects studied in last year of tertiary study
• You must have achieved a minimum overall average of 66.5% for subjects related to the teaching area of specialisation in last year of tertiary study

New students enrolling for PGCE must also meet the following criteria:

• You must have completed a qualification that allows admission into the PGCE programme
• You must be studying towards the PGCE for Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching (SPFET) (Grade 7 to Grade 12)
• You must have 2 priority subjects with 1 module successfully completed at third year level, and 1 module successfully completed at second year level
• You must have sufficient modules in the priority subjects in order to qualify to teach it as a subject at school

Funza Lushaka Bursary Opening Date

Applications foe the Funza Lushaka Bursary are open from 1st October 2021 and close on 11 February 2024. Funza Lusaka Bursary 2026 Online Application information are found below.

Funza Lushaka Bursary Application For Studies

To apply for the Funza Lushaka bursary for studies, candidates must closely follow these steps:

1. Visit official website of the e-Gov portal at www.eservices.gov.za
2. Register using your personal information
3. After successful Registered Log in to the system by your username and password created during registration
4. After successful login in e-Services in Menu select Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme
5. Enter the OTP received on the preferred channel
6. Then, Accept the Terms and Conditions
7. On the dashboard, menu click on the 2024 application button
8. Follow the steps to complete the required field with your information
9. Accept the declaration to confirm the information captured.