Funza Lushaka Bursary 2027, Requirements & Application

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The Funza Lushaka Bursary is the Department of Basic Education’s full-cost bursary for future teachers. It pays for a Bachelor of Education at a public university in subjects where schools are short of teachers, and the Department’s 2026 application notes state that it does not fund the one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and bursars repay it by teaching at a public school for as many years as they were funded. It is the largest teaching bursary in the country.

About the Funza Lushaka Bursary

• Covers tuition, accommodation and meals, a book allowance and a monthly living allowance for the full degree.
• Funds the four-year Bachelor of Education at public universities. The Department’s 2026 notes list the one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education as not funded.
• Bursars must apply for a teaching post at a public school within six months of graduating and show evidence that they did. The Department’s notes state there is no preferential placement by a provincial education department.

Funza Lushaka priority subjects

• Foundation phase (Grades R to 3): foundation phase teaching with an African home language, Afrikaans or English, literacy, numeracy and life skills, Braille, South African Sign Language and neurodevelopmental needs.
• Intermediate phase (Grades 4 to 6): mathematics, natural science and technology, languages, Braille, Sign Language and neurodevelopmental needs.
• Senior and FET phase (Grades 7 to 12): mathematics, physical sciences, life sciences, agricultural sciences, marine sciences, technology and engineering subjects, computer applications and information technology, coding and robotics, Braille, Sign Language and neurodevelopmental needs.

Funza Lushaka eligibility requirements

• South African citizen under 30.
• In Matric, or holding a National Senior Certificate with a bachelor’s pass, or a degree for PGCE applicants.
• Admitted, or applying, to an approved BEd at a public university with at least two priority specialisations.
• Strong academic results, typically at least 60% in the home language and 50% in the other subjects, and a genuine commitment to teaching.
• Willing to teach where placed after graduating.

How to apply for Funza Lushaka

1. Apply to a public university for admission to a BEd with priority specialisations.
2. Complete the Teacher Recruitment Screening Form linked from the Funza Lushaka page on education.gov.za.
3. Register on the eServices portal at eservices.gov.za, open the Funza Lushaka application and upload a certified ID, your Grade 11 or 12 results, your Matric certificate if you have completed school, proof of university application or acceptance and your academic record.
4. Submit before the closing date and check your eServices profile for the outcome after Matric results are released.

Funza Lushaka closing date

The 2027 call is open. Applications opened on 1 October 2026, and the Department of Basic Education has published two closing dates: 30 November 2026 for returning students who are already funded, and 31 January 2027 for new applicants. New applicants therefore have until the end of January, which falls after the Matric results are released.

Contact details

• Department of Basic Education call centre: 0800 202 933
• Website: education.gov.za/Programmes/FunzaLushaka

See the Funza Lushaka district-based stream, learn how to check your Funza Lushaka outcome, and browse our education bursaries list.

Before you sign, understand what the bursary asks of you afterwards. Funza Lushaka requires one year of teaching in a public school for every year it funds you, and what a bursary contract commits you to sets out the placement duty, the six-month job-hunt clause and how repayment is calculated.

FAQs