Funza Lushaka has opened its 2026 bursary program and is inviting all interested applicants to apply Now.

The Department of Basic Education deals with schools throughout South Africa, from Grade R to 12 and adult literacy programmes. The DBE was formerly part of the National Department of Education before it split into two: the DBE (Department of Basic Education) and DHE (Department of Higher Education)

ENDING DATE: This bursary will end on 29 November 2026 for Re-applications (existing or returning bursary recipients) and New applications on 1 February 2026.

LOCATION: South Africa

Funza Lushaka has opened its 2026 bursary program.

BURSARY REQUIREMENTS:

Tp be a qualified applicant, you 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

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

BURSARY COVERAGE:

This bursary covers for the following expenses:

• tuition fees,
• books,
• study materials,
• accommodation,
• meals, t
• eaching practice
• and an allowance for general living expenses, if available and capped at a certain amount.

METHOD OF APPLICATION

To apply for this Bursary application follow the steps below:

1. Open the e-Gov portal at www.eservices.gov.za
2. Register by providing personal information
3. Login to the system using user name and password created when registering
4. On the e-Services Menu select Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme
5. Enter the OTP received on the preferred channel
6. Accept the Terms and Conditions
7. On the dashboard menu click on the 2026 application button
8. Follow the steps to complete the required field with your information
9. Accept the declaration to confirm the information captured