Funza Lushaka Bursary Application for 2023-2024

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ABOUT THE FUNZA LUSHAKA BURSARY PROGRAMME

The Department of Education in South Africa, are inviting students to apply for the prestigious Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme, for the 2023 academic year.

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 LUSHAKA BURSARY PROGRAMME – COVERAGE VALUE, RENEWAL & SERVICE CONTRACT

The bursary will provide cover for the following expenses: tuition fees, books, study materials, accommodation, meals, teaching practice and an allowance for general living expenses, if available and capped at a certain amount.

Bursaries are awarded for 1 academic year at a time and students are required to reapply for funding each year. Renewal of the bursary is NOT guaranteed, but is dependent on students academic performance.

After graduation, bursary recipients will be required to teach at a public school (selected by the Provincial Education Department (PED)) – the service contract duration will be equal to the duration of bursary funding received.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FUNZA LUSHAKA BURSARY

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):
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

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE FUNZA LUSHAKA BURSARY

To apply for the Funza Lushaka bursary for 2022 studies, candidates must closely follow these steps:

Visit the e-Government Portal website
Register an account by filling in your required personal details
Login using your created username and password
Select the “Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme” on the e-Services Menu
OTP will be sent to your mobile number used to register
Enter the OTP you received
Read and accept the Terms and Conditions
Click on the “2023 application” button on the dashboard
Fill in the required information
Read and accept the declaration to confirm your information

Please note: applications must ONLY be done online – NO hard copy applications will be accepted. and applicants must be 30 years or young if applying for the first time.

APPLICATION NOTES FOR THE FUNZA LUSHAKA BURSARY

Students must read the Funza Lushaka Bursary Information before applying
Students must have a valid student number when applying (this will be received after you have been accepted or provisionally accepted at university)
Ensure that your information submitted is correct – you will be able to access your online application to make any changes before submission
Ensure that your priority subject areas on your application for are the ones you will specialise in
Academic year of study means the level you are studying (B Ed 1 is 1st year, B Ed 2 is 2nd year etc)
You are not allowed to change institutions after applying for the bursary
Applying for the bursary does NOT automatically guarantee you will receive it
Supporting documents must be submitted to your university’s Funza Lushaka office

CLOSING DATE FOR THE FUNZA LUSHAKA BURSARY

Re-applications (existing or returning bursary recipients): 29 November 2022.
New applications: 1 February 2023.

(Applications submitted after these dates will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER

For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact your University Funza Lushaka academic and administrative co-ordinators directly:

Alternatively, you may contact the Department of Basic Education here:
Tel: 012 357 3000
Email: inquiries.funzalushaka@dbe.gov.za

(Please do NOT contact the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Higher Education and Training or NSFAS for queries regarding the bursary, please also do not come in person to the DBE).

Do you have any question regarding Funza Lushaka Barsary ?

Before you make an enquiry, please read the list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and answers.