Funza Lushaka Bursary for 2026

Last confirmed against the official source: 1 September 2026

Key facts

Closing date: Closing date on official site
Field of study: 4-year Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Care and Education (B.Ed. ECCE) for ECD Grade RR-R; 4-year Bachelor of Education degree (B.Ed.) specialising in Foundation Phase (Grade R-3), Intermediate Phase (Grade 4-6), or Senior and Further Education and Training Teaching (Grade 7-12), including at least two priority subject areas

Who can apply

Other

Applicants must not appear on police clearance, National Register for Sexual Offenders or National Register for Child Offenders records; offences less than ten years old make an applicant ineligible to study teaching and apply
Applicants with an existing teaching qualification do not qualify
Applicants must be ready to pursue a teaching career and work with young people
Candidates who fail to gain admission at a public higher education institution are not eligible

Academic

Applicants should demonstrate good academic ability
First-time university entrants need a matric/Grade 12 bachelor's admission pass and at least level 4 (50% and above) in the two subjects in which they will specialise in teaching
Foundation Phase: Mathematics level 2 (30%) or Mathematical Literacy level 4 (50%), plus Home Language level 4 (50%)
Intermediate Phase: Mathematics level 3 (40%) or Mathematical Literacy level 5 (60%), plus Home Language level 4 (50%)
Senior/FET: level 4 (50%) in two priority subject areas
Re-applicants must have passed all prior-year Funza Lushaka priority-subject modules, achieved at least 55% across all prior-year modules and at least 66.5% in modules directly related to the teaching specialisation
ECCE applicants: bachelor's pass or equivalent with 28 APS or 55% aggregate; Home Language South African Indigenous language level 4 (50%); pure Mathematics level 3 (40%) and Mathematical Literacy level 4 (50%)

Study_year

First-time entrants; re-applicants in 2nd, 3rd or 4th year; bursary is awarded for one academic year at a time.

Who_it_is_for

South African citizens with a valid South African ID card
First-year/time applicants below the age of 30 years
Applicants accepted or provisionally accepted at their university of choice
Applicants accepted into an approved B.Ed. degree programme specialising in two or more priority subject areas
Re-applicants already studying at university in 2nd, 3rd or 4th year may qualify for re-award
New applicants enrolling for the Bachelor of Education Degree in Early Childhood Care and Education offered at the University of Pretoria and North-West University

Financial_need

Minimum requirements

Complete an online application; hard-copy applications are not accepted
Have a valid student number
Submit supporting documentation to the university's Funza Lushaka office
First-time district-based recruited applicants must first submit the digitised Teacher Screening form for screening
Priority subject areas captured in the application must be those in which the applicant will specialise

Documents you will need

Supporting documentation to the university's Funza Lushaka office

Plain-English summary — AI help

The Funza Lushaka Bursary for 2026 is a national Department of Basic Education bursary for approved B.Ed. teaching programmes, including ECCE, Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase and Senior/FET teaching specialisations in priority subjects. It may cover tuition, accommodation and meals, learning materials and teaching practice, subject to funding limits.

Can I apply? — AI help

The verified facts say this is for South African citizens with a valid SA ID who are accepted or provisionally accepted at a public higher education institution for an approved teaching degree. First-year/time applicants must be below 30. Academic requirements differ by teaching phase and specialisation. Re-applicants in second, third or fourth year may be considered for re-award, but this is not automatic. Applicants with an existing teaching qualification do not qualify.

Preparation checklist — AI help

Check that you are a South African citizen with a valid South African ID card.
Confirm that you have been accepted or provisionally accepted into an approved B.Ed. programme at a public higher education institution.
Check whether your planned teaching specialisation includes the required priority subject areas.
Compare your Grade 12 results with the requirements for your intended phase, such as Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, Home Language and priority subjects.
If applying for ECCE, confirm whether you are enrolling at the University of Pretoria or North-West University and meet the listed ECCE academic requirements.
If you are re-applying, check your prior-year module results against the re-award requirements.
Get a valid student number and prepare to submit supporting documents to your university's Funza Lushaka office.
Apply online through the official eServices route; hard-copy applications are not accepted.
Confirm the closing date on the official landing page, as no specific date is provided in the verified facts.

Common questions — AI help

Where do I apply?

Applications must be completed online through https://www.eservices.gov.za. Hard-copy applications are not accepted.

What does the bursary cover?

It covers tuition fees, accommodation including meals, books and learning materials, and teaching practice. A small monthly living-expense allowance may be provided if possible. Funding is capped, so you may need to top up if university fees exceed the capped amount.

Is there a work-back requirement?

Yes. Recipients must teach for one year for every year they received the bursary. After qualifying, they must apply purposefully for public-school teaching posts for six months and provide evidence of those applications.

Can I use this bursary for a PGCE or postgraduate programme?

No. PGCE, extended programmes, Higher Certificate in Education, Honours, Master's and Doctoral programmes are not funded in 2026.

How to apply

Apply directly on the official site — we never take applications ourselves.

Apply on the official site →

Facts on this page come from the official announcement:
https://www.funzalushaka.doe.gov.za/Content/Documents/Funza%20Lushaka%20Bursary%20Application%20Notes%202026.pdf