Here’s How The NSFAS & Funza Lushaka Bursary Are Different

Wednesday, 29 December, 2021 - 10:09

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NSFAS and Funza Lushaka have been funding students for many years and both have helped students reach their goals. However, they do differ in certain areas.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme are funding opportunities available to students who are interested in studying further. However, here is how these two bursaries differ.

Courses

The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a multi-year programme aimed at promoting teaching as a career. Once these students have completed their studies, they are expected to accept a teaching post which they will be required to occupy for the number of years that they were funded.

NSFAS on the other hand funds a wider variety of courses at TVET colleges and public universities in South Africa.

Repayments

Students who received NSFAS before the president announced free education in December 2017 are expected to repay the loaned amount as per the signed loan agreement. These students are only expected to repay the loan once they begin earning a salary of R30 000 or more per annum.

However, those who received funding from NSFAS in 2018 ad thereafter are not required to repay their funding since they received a bursary and not a loan.

With regards to the Funza Lushaka Bursary, recipients are only expected to repay their bursary if the student:

fails to qualify as a teacher.
fails to apply for a teaching post with a Provincial Education Department at a public school, following the stipulated processes.
leaves a teaching post with a Provincial Education Department before the end of the contracted service period.
Fails to meet a requirement of the bursary agreement.

Age limit

Applicants younger than 30 years old may apply for funding from the Funza Lushaka Bursary. Whereas, applications of any age may apply for the NSFAS bursary if they meet the other requirements of the bursary.

Registration

Students who apply for the Funza Lushaka Bursary are responsible for paying their own registration fees as the bursary does not cover the cost of registration. The bursary also states that even though students pay their registration it does not guarantee that they will receive funding.

NSFAS covers the cost of registration, however, it may take some time before payment is made.

Postgraduate Certificate of Education

The Funza Lushaka Bursary aims to help students enter the teaching profession and therefore also cover Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses.

In the past NSFAS has funded postgraduate courses, but due to financial shortfalls, they decided to only fund undergraduate courses.

TVET college students

NSFAS provides bursaries to students studying at any of the 50 TVET colleges within South Africa. The Funza Lushaka Bursary does not fund TVET college students, because they only fund Bachelor of Education degrees and PGCE courses which are only available at universities.

Duration

NSFAS follows the N+ rule which means that they provide funding for one year extra in the event of the student failing one year.

Funza Lushaka offers funding year by year. The bursary will only be renewed if they are provided with proof of good academic performance. This means that students need to reapply for the bursary every year.

For more information about NSFAS, click here.