The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative targeted at addressing the lack of qualified teachers in the country.
It offers economic help to qualified students who want to go after a teaching qualification in areas which can be critical for that education sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is built to promote educating like a career by funding university students to study for any Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a selected lack of teachers, like:
- Mathematics
- Physical Science
- Technology
- Languages (especially African languages)
- Early Childhood Development
- Foundation Phase Teaching
*** Who Qualifies For The Bursary?
To be eligible for the Funza Lushaka bursary, applicants must meet the following criteria:
1. **Citizenship**: Have to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Should intend to enroll or presently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a regarded South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants must have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students need to exhibit satisfactory educational general performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Must intend to educate in a very precedence subject area as recognized from the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants will have to reveal a determination to teaching and an knowledge of its significance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than thirty years once they apply.
*** Application Process With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the net Application**:
- Applications are Funza Lushaka 2025 submitted on-line in the Formal Funza Lushaka bursary method (over the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Web site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window usually opens towards the tip of your academic yr and closes early the next year (usually November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and evidence of university registration are required.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is given to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The appliance goes through a selection course of action based upon the necessity for teachers in specific subjects and locations.
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and foods
- Textbooks and studying elements
- A little stipend for other living expenditures
***Conditions for Working Back the Bursary:
Upon graduation, bursary recipients are required to:
1. **Teach in a Public School**: Recipients must work as teachers in a public school for the same number of years that they received the bursary. This is known as the "work-back" period.
2. **Service Placement**: The Department of Basic Education will place recipients in schools where their skills are needed, often in rural or underserved areas.
3. **Failure to Fulfill the Obligation**: If the recipient fails to meet the work-back obligation (e.g., not teaching after graduation or leaving Funza Lushaka application before completing the required service), they will be required to repay the bursary amount in full, with interest.
***Renewal of the Bursary:
The bursary is renewable annually, provided the student continues to meet the academic and other requirements. Recipients need to reapply every year, and the renewal is subject to satisfactory academic performance.