Funza Lushaka is the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) bursary for people training to become teachers. The DBE funds a four-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree at a public university, provided the student specialises in subjects that provinces need teachers for. In return, Funza Lushaka bursars teach in a public school for one year for every year the bursary paid for. NSFAS manages the money on the DBE’s behalf.
Key dates for 2027 study
- Applications opened on 1 October 2026.
- Current Funza Lushaka bursars re-applying for 2027 must do so by 30 November 2026.
- New applicants have until 31 January 2027.
The DBE does not consider applications after the closing date, and it does not accept paper forms.
Only a BEd in priority subjects qualifies
Funza Lushaka funds the four-year BEd in the Foundation Phase (Grade R to 3), the Intermediate Phase (Grade 4 to 6) or the Senior and FET Phase (Grade 7 to 12). Intermediate and Senior/FET students must specialise in at least two priority subject areas. The DBE also funds third-year students on the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Care and Education at the University of Pretoria, which runs as a special project with the department.
The DBE’s 2027 notes rule out several kinds of study:
- The one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), the Higher Certificate in Education, Honours, Master’s and doctoral study.
- Subjects where the DBE already has unemployed teachers on its database: History, Geography, Accounting, Economics, Business Studies, EMS, Life Orientation and Physical Education.
- Subjects with low uptake in schools: Religious Studies, Music, Dance and Art.
- A combination of two languages, because a language teacher must also be able to teach a content subject.
- Anyone who already holds a teaching qualification.
For languages, the department will mainly fund South African indigenous languages, and Afrikaans in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and Eastern Cape, with a small number of English places.
Matric results the DBE asks for
First-time university entrants need a bachelor’s pass in the NSC, with at least level 4 (50%) in the two subjects they plan to teach. Each phase adds its own conditions:
- Foundation Phase: Mathematics at level 3 (40%) or Mathematical Literacy at level 4 (50%), plus Home Language at level 4.
- Intermediate Phase: Mathematics at level 3 or Mathematical Literacy at level 5 (60%), plus Home Language at level 4.
- Senior and FET Phase: level 4 in two priority subjects. Students who want to teach technical subjects or Computer Applications Technology without having taken them at school need level 4 in Mathematics or Technical Mathematics.
If the university sets a higher entry requirement than the bursary, the higher one applies. First-time applicants must be South African citizens with a valid ID and must be 30 or younger. The DBE also advises every applicant to check that they have no record with SAPS, on the National Register for Sex Offenders or on the Department of Social Development’s register of child offenders, because an offence less than ten years old rules a person out of studying teaching.
Keeping the bursary from second year onwards
Funza Lushaka is awarded one year at a time. To be re-awarded, a student must pass every priority-subject module from the previous year, average at least 55% across all modules and at least 66.5% in the modules linked to their teaching specialisation, and be progressing to the next year of study. Universities may set higher bars. A student who drops the bursary for a year will not be funded again, and a fifth year of study is only funded if money is available.
What Funza Lushaka pays, and when you pay it back
The bursary covers tuition, accommodation with meals, books and learning materials, teaching practice and, where the budget allows, a small monthly living allowance. The DBE caps the bursary value: if a university’s fees exceed the cap, the student pays the difference.
After graduating, bursars must apply for teaching posts in public schools for six months and keep proof of those applications. The DBE warns that provinces give graduates no preferential placement. A student who breaks the contract, for example by switching away from their priority subjects, must repay the full bursary with interest at the NSFAS rate.
Applying on the eServices portal
- Get accepted or provisionally accepted by a university and receive a student number first.
- Register on the government eServices portal, log in and choose the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme.
- Enter the one-time PIN, accept the terms and open the 2027 application.
- Capture your details carefully, especially the priority subjects you will specialise in, then accept the declaration.
- Hand your supporting documents to the Funza Lushaka office at your university.
Read the DBE’s Funza Lushaka application notes for 2027 (PDF) before you start, and check the Funza Lushaka website for updates. Changing universities after you submit can disqualify you, so update your application while the system is still open. People recruited through a district-based programme must first complete the digital teacher screening form linked in the DBE notes, then apply online.
The DBE asks students to take questions to their university’s Funza Lushaka co-ordinators first. Unresolved matters can go to the department on 012 357 3000 or inquiries.funzalushaka@dbe.gov.za.
Other routes into teaching
Students whose subjects fall outside the DBE’s priority list can compare the ETDP SETA bursary and other options on our education bursaries page. Funza Lushaka graduates who later go on to Honours should know that the NRF puts former Funza Lushaka bursars through a financial means test, as explained on our NRF postgraduate funding page.
Does Funza Lushaka fund the PGCE in 2027?
No. The DBE’s 2027 notes say the PGCE will not be funded, and the department advises graduates not to take a PGCE for the Foundation or Intermediate Phase.
Am I guaranteed a teaching post after graduating?
No. Bursars must apply for posts in public schools, but the DBE says provinces will not give Funza Lushaka graduates preferential placement.