Funza Lushaka Teacher Education Bursary

• Tuition fees.
• Accommodation including meals.
• Books and learning materials.
• Teaching practice costs.
• Where possible, a small monthly living allowance, depending on the university's cost of tuition.
• The bursary is capped at a set value: if fees exceed the cap the student pays the difference; if fees are below the cap the bursary pays the actual cost. Total value therefore differs between universities.
• The bursary is awarded one academic year at a time and is not automatically renewed. It covers the four years of the B.Ed.; a fifth year is not promised but may be re-awarded for good performance if funds allow.
• Service obligation: one year of teaching for each year funded. Graduates must apply for posts in public schools within six months of graduating and show evidence of applications; there is no preferential placement.
• Repayment: breaking conditions (for example changing priority subjects without approval) can lead to revocation and repayment of the full amount, with interest at the rate determined by NSFAS.

• Applications for the 2027 bursary open on 1 October 2026.
• New (first-time) applications close on 31 January 2027.
• Re-applications by existing and returning bursars close on 30 November 2026.
• No applications are considered after the closing date.

1. Get accepted or provisionally accepted at a university and obtain your student number.
2. Check your records with SAPS, the Department of Justice and Correctional Services and the Department of Social Development.
3. Open the e-Gov portal at www.eservices.gov.za and register with your personal information.
4. Log in with your user name and password, choose Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme on the e-Services menu and enter the OTP sent to your preferred channel.
5. Accept the Terms and Conditions and click the 2027 application button on the dashboard.
6. Complete all fields accurately, including the priority subject areas you will actually specialise in, then accept the declaration.
7. Submit the supporting documents to your university's Funza Lushaka office.
8. Applications can be updated until the system closes. Applying does not guarantee an award.
9. If you are awarded the bursary, sign the bursary contract and keep a copy.

Applicants from district-based recruitment use a digitised Teacher Screening form first, then still apply online. Questions go to the Funza Lushaka coordinators at your university; escalations go to 012 357 3000 or [email protected]. Do not contact NSFAS or the national departments directly.

• Online application completed on the e-Gov portal (no hard-copy applications).
• Supporting documentation submitted to the university's Funza Lushaka office.
• Police clearance record, and confirmation that you are not on the sex offenders or child offenders registers.
• Valid South African ID.
• A working email address and cellphone number that stay unchanged during study.
• Signed bursary contract after an award.

• Minimum criteria do not guarantee an award; the limited bursaries go to the best candidates, and the selection committee may decline to award regardless of results.
• Criteria: good academic ability, acceptance into an approved B.Ed. with at least two priority subject areas, and teaching career traits such as interest in working with young people, enthusiasm for teaching and readiness to face challenges with integrity.
• The bursary is awarded one year at a time and is not automatically renewed; no automatic promise of funding beyond the fourth year. Skipping a year of Funza Lushaka bars later funding.
• Service obligation: apply for a teaching post in a public school for six months after graduating and show evidence; no preferential placement by provincial departments. Teach one year for each year funded; breach (for example unilaterally changing priority subjects) means repayment of the full amount with interest at the NSFAS rate.