The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative targeted at addressing the scarcity of skilled teachers from the country.

It provides economic support to suitable students who prefer to pursue a teaching qualification in places which have been essential for the education and learning sector.

The Funza Lushaka bursary is created to boost teaching for a profession by funding college students to study for a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a specific lack of teachers, including:

- 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**: Needs to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Must intend to enroll or previously be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a acknowledged 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 demonstrate satisfactory educational overall performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Must intend to educate in a very priority subject area as determined with the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants ought to show a motivation to educating and an knowledge of its significance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than thirty years when they apply.

*** Application Procedure For the Funza Lushaka Bursary:

1. ** On the internet Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the web in the Formal Funza Lushaka bursary program (within the Department of Basic Education's focused Web page for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window typically opens towards the end of the academic year and closes early the subsequent calendar year (ordinarily November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and evidence of university registration are essential.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a selection process dependant on the necessity for teachers in particular subjects and click here locations.

***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition charges
- Accommodation and meals
- Guides and studying components
- A small 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 here to meet the work-back obligation (e.g., not teaching after graduation or leaving 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.