The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative targeted at addressing the shortage of competent teachers within the country.

It offers financial guidance to eligible students who wish to pursue a teaching qualification in places which have been critical to the education and learning sector.

The Funza Lushaka bursary is created to boost teaching being a career by funding students to study to get a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a selected shortage 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**: Need to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Should intend to enroll or currently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a acknowledged South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants will need to have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students must display satisfactory academic performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Need to intend to teach in the precedence subject area as identified through the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants need to exhibit a motivation to educating and an comprehension of its worth in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than thirty years once they apply.

*** Application Process To the Funza Lushaka Bursary:

1. ** On the web Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the web from the official Funza Lushaka bursary technique (within the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Web site for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window typically opens towards the top with the academic 12 months and closes early the next year (usually November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and evidence of university registration are necessary.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is given to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes as a result of a range method determined by the need for teachers in certain subjects and places.

***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation and foods
- Publications and learning products
- A small stipend for other living expenses

***Conditions for Working Back the Bursary:
Upon website 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 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.