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

It offers economic assistance to qualified students who prefer to pursue a teaching qualification in places which have been crucial to the schooling sector.

The Funza Lushaka bursary is designed to boost educating as a career by funding university students to study for a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a specific scarcity of teachers, which include:

- 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**: Must be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Should plan to enroll or previously be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a identified South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants need to have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students need to demonstrate satisfactory academic overall performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Should intend to educate inside a priority subject area as identified via the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants should reveal a dedication to educating and an understanding of its relevance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than 30 years after they apply.

*** Application Process To the Funza Lushaka Bursary:

1. ** Online Application**:
- Applications are submitted on-line in the Formal Funza Lushaka bursary system (about the Department of Basic Education's focused Web site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window ordinarily opens towards the end on the academic yr and closes early the following year (usually November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and evidence of university registration are demanded.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is provided to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The applying goes by way of a range method based on the need for teachers in specific subjects and .

***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers more info the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and meals
- Publications 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 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 Funza 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 Funza lushaka online application renewal is subject to satisfactory academic performance.