The Funza Lushaka Bursary is granted to those who want to enter the world of education and mould the minds of future generations. This article contains the application and requirements information for the Funza Lushaka Bursary.
Who can apply?
As this is a bursary, there are some strict restrictions on the eligibility of applicants. Potential applicants who these restrictions will affect are people:
- With a criminal record
- Who are older than 30 years of age
- Who are employees of the Highers Education Institution or their spouses, children or dependents
- Who already have a teaching qualification
You should be honest when applying for the Funza Lushaka Bursary. Failure to disclose any of the above information will be seen as a criminal offence.
We’ve now told you who cannot apply, and we hear you asking, but who can apply?
Eligible candidates for the bursary are:
- South African citizens who have a valid ID number
- People under the age of 30 years
- People who have demonstrated strong academic abilities
- People who have shown interest in working with children or young people who have shown interest and enthusiasm for education and teaching.
- For the 2026 cycle, applicants accepted into an approved BEd programme and specialising in the required priority areas. Check the current intake’s official application notes for eligible qualifications.
- People who have no criminal record
What are the requirements?
Being the right age and an upstanding citizen of South Africa is not all you need to be eligible for the bursary. There are quite a few requirements for applicants in different stages of their studies; these are roughly outlined below; for a detailed list of requirements, follow this link.
Requirements differ for first-time and returning applicants, and the funded qualifications can change by intake.
- First-time university students would need to have passed their matric with university exemption or have received an endorsement or bachelor degree admission. The two subjects that the applicant want to teach in, the applicant themselves will have had to pass with a level 4 or higher at a matric level.
- For those applicants who are already studying at university, the applicant must pass with an average of 55% or higher prior to the year across all modules studied.
- The 2026 application notes fund approved four-year BEd studies in Foundation, Intermediate, and Senior/FET phases, but state that the one-year PGCE is not funded in 2026. Check the notes for your intended intake before assuming that a PGCE will be funded.
What are the conditions of the bursary?
- The bursary will need to be re-applied for every academic year; it does not automatically roll forward to the following year.
- If you receive the bursary, then you will be required to teach for every year of your studies covered by the bursary.
When do applications open?
Opening and closing dates depend on the intake and applicant category. Check the official Funza Lushaka website for the current notice and the separate instructions for new and returning applicants. Do not rely on provisional dates carried over from an earlier year.
How to apply?
Only online applications will be accepted, and no hard copy applications will be considered. To apply, you will need to visit the e-Gov website and register with your personal information. Then you will need to log into the system, accept the terms and conditions and on the next page, click on the application button. Once there, follow the steps clearly set out on the website and accept the declaration that confirms the information you captured is accurate and true. For a detailed step by step walkthrough, visit the Funza Lushaka Bursary website.
Was your application successful?
If you have not received any correspondence from the Department of Education, head over to the Funza Lushaka website, complete your login details, and your status will show on the next loading page.
You can visit the Funza Lushaka website for more information on applying for the bursary or details of the requirements and restrictions, or you can contact the department on 012 357 3000 or email them at inquiries.funzalushaka@dbe.gov.za.