The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme is a multi-year programme that promotes teaching in public schools. Bursaries are available to enable eligible students to complete a full teaching qualification in an area of national priority. Recipients of the bursary will be required to teach at a school or provincial education department for the same number of years that they receive the bursary.

Admission criteria

The bursary is only awarded to South African citizens.

Selection criteria include the following:

• The applicant’s academic ability;
• Eligibility for an approved degree or PGCE in one of the priority areas;
• 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 and personal integrity;
• Commitment to teach in any school to which a student may be appointed by a PED.

Programmes to be funded

Three types of qualifications can be funded. These are shown in the table below. The qualification must include subjects which will allow the student to specialise as a teacher in at least one priority area (see next section below).

Undergraduate studies

• 4-year Bachelor of Education degree (B Ed), specialising in Foundation Phase (Grade R – 3), Intermediate Phase (Grade 4 – 6), Senior Phase (Grade 7 – 9) and FET Phase (Grade 10-12).
• 3/4 -year Bachelors degree e.g. Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Computer Science, Bachelor of Technology in fields suitable for admission to the one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Application for funding for a Bachelors degree implies that the applicant commits to enrol for the PGCE upon completion of the undergraduate degree.Graduate studies
  One-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) for graduates whose degrees include majors in priority areas.

How to apply

You need to apply for admission to a teaching qualification (B Ed or PGCE) or a Bachelors degree (e.g. BSc, B Tech, BA) with at least one major course in a priority area at a university of your choice. Once you have gained admission at a university, you are required to apply for the bursary via this Internet website.

The bursary is awarded for one academic year at a time and, on proof of academic success, the bursary may be renewed each year until the recipient of the bursary has qualified as a teacher. The bursary holder will be required to re-apply by the end of October for the following year. Recipients of bursaries will be required to teach one year for every year for which they receive a bursary.

Application Deadline: Re-applications close on 16 November 2012; New applications close on 11 January 2013.