NSFAS And Funza Lushaka

NSFAS And Funza Lushaka | The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme is a multi-year programme to promote teaching as a profession. Bursaries are available to enable selected students to complete a teaching qualification in identified areas of priority. Recipients of these bursaries will be required to teach at a public school for the same number of years that they received the bursary.

Roles and responsibilities

How are roles and responsibilities for the Funza Lushaka programme divided?

This is a national programme that is run locally at each higher education institution (HEI). It is funded by National Treasury and executed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) administers the programme on behalf of DBE through the Student Financial Aid office at each HEI.

Selected students must meet the admission criteria of the academic programme at the HEI to which they apply, and must meet the national selection criteria for the Funza Lushaka bursary. The selection of bursars is undertaken at each HEI in accordance with the selection criteria and the funds allocated to each HEI. The selection of bursars is undertaken at each HEI in accordance with the selection criteria and the funds allocated to each HEI.

Once qualified, bursary recipients are placed by a provincial education department.

Applications and eligibility

Who is eligible to apply?

Any academically gifted, young –

learners, currently in Grade 12;
graduates who want to complete a teaching qualification (enrol for a PGCE);
people who want to make a career change and become teachers; and
unemployed people who want to become teachers.

NSFAS: What is NSFAS?

NSFAS, or National Student Financial Aid Scheme, was established according to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Act of 1999 and incorporated the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa (TEFSA), which stopped operating in 2000.