Funza Lushaka Bursary Online Application Form- 2024

The following must be read before making an application for a Funza Lushaka bursary for 2023/2024:

• Should you have a criminal record, be charged with misconduct, or be dismissed from work, kindly note that you are not eligible to apply for this bursary.
• Allocation of Funza Lushaka bursaries to higher education institution employees, their spouses, and their dependents or children is not permissible.
• Non-disclosure of the information required, as stated in 2 above, will be treated as fraud.
• Applicants should be 30 years of age or younger to qualify for the Funza Lushaka Bursary.
• This online application is a must. No hard copies are accepted by the programme.
• Please note that those who already have other teaching qualifications do not qualify for this programme.

Programmes to be funded

• Two types of qualifications can be funded, as shown below. The qualification must include subjects that will allow the student to specialise as a teacher in at least two priority subject areas (see next section below).
• Undergraduate studies
  • 4-year Bachelor of Education degree (BEd), specialising in Foundation Phase (Grade R–3), Intermediate Phase (Grade 4–6), and Senior and Further Education and Training Teaching (Grade 7–12).
• Graduate studies
  • One-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) for graduates whose degrees reflect two priority subjects, where one module or course was successfully completed or studied at the third-year level while the second-year priority subject was successfully completed or studied at the second-year level.
    N.B. Only the PGCE (Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching) (Grade 7–12) will be funded through the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme.

Selection criteria

Selection criteria include the following:

• The bursary is only awarded to South African citizens with a valid South African ID number.
• The applicant should demonstrate good academic ability.
• Applicants should be 30 years and age or younger to qualify for the Funza Lushaka Bursary
• Allocation of Funza Lushaka bursaries to higher education institution employees, their spouses, and their dependents or children is not permissible.
• The Funza Lushaka bursary does not fund extended programmes.
• The applicant must be accepted into an approved BEd degree or PGCE programme to specialise in two or more of the priority areas.
• The applicant should demonstrate good academic ability.
• The applicant must show 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.
• The applicant must be committed to teaching in any school in which a student may be placed by the Provincial Education Department (PED).

Students must meet the minimum academic criteria for the award of the bursary. In 2022, the minimum academic criteria are:

For first-time entrants to university:

• An exemption, endorsement, or ‘admission to bachelor degree studies’ pass at the matriculation or grade 12 level.
• At least a level 4 pass at the matriculation level in the two subjects in which the applicant will specialise to teach
• For students who wish to specialise in the Foundation Phase, a Level 4 pass in mathematics or a Level 5 pass in mathematical literacy at the Grade 12 level is required. In addition, at least a level 4 pass in the home language is required.
• Students who wish to specialise in the teaching of technology subjects, including CAT, and who do not have these subjects at the matriculation level must have at least a level 4 pass in mathematics or technical mathematics.
• If the institution’s admission requirements are higher than the bursary requirement, and vice versa, then the higher requirement will apply.

For new applicants already at university
The student must have:

• The student must have passed all of the modules studied in the year prior to the bursary application at the higher education institution.
• At least a 55% average across all the modules studied in the applicant’s last year of study at a higher education institution
• The student must have at least a 55% average in modules studied in the applicant’s last year of study at the university that relate directly to the priority subject area of their teaching specialisation.
• These are the minimum criteria. The Funza Lushaka bursary is a prestigious bursary that must be awarded first on the basis of academic ability. The criteria applied at particular institutions may be higher than those suggested here, but they cannot be lower.

For new applicants enrolling in the PGCE

• The student must have successfully completed a recognised qualification that qualifies him or her to be admitted for a PGCE.
• Only the PGCE (Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching) (Grades 7–12) will be funded through the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme.
• To be considered for the PGCE in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training teaching, the student must have two priority subjects, where one module or course was successfully completed or studied at third-year level, while the second priority subject was
  successfully completed or studied at the second-year level.
• The student must have at least TWO identified priority subjects at second-year level.
• The student must have sufficient modules in the identified priority subjects to qualify to teach it as a subject at school.

Applicants must note that these are minimum criteria. Meeting these criteria does not mean automatic acceptance for the bursary. There are a limited number of bursaries available, and the best students will be selected for the bursary.

FUNZA LUSHAKA BURSARY APPLICATION APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS