Skip to content
SA Bursary Hub

Study guide · 6 min read

Education: study guide, tips and eligibility checklist

Teaching is one of the better-funded study fields in South Africa, but most of that funding comes with a teaching-service commitment. Understand the commitment before you apply, not after you are accepted.

What this study field covers

Foundation, intermediate, senior and further education and training phase teaching qualifications, postgraduate certificates in education, and specialisations such as inclusive education, educational psychology and school leadership.

Priority subjects and phases

Several teaching programmes prioritise specific subjects or phases where schools need teachers. Where a priority list exists it is published in the official advert, and applying with a non-priority subject combination can affect your chances.

If you are still choosing your subject combination, check the current official list before you register rather than after.

Service commitments

Teaching bursaries commonly require you to teach for a set period after qualifying, often at a public school and sometimes where you are placed. Confirm the length of the obligation, who decides the placement and what happens if you leave early.

Application tips for education students

  1. 1Confirm which subject combinations the funder currently prioritises before you finalise registration.
  2. 2Include any tutoring, coaching or youth-work experience - it is directly relevant evidence here.
  3. 3Placement can be anywhere the employer needs teachers. Consider that honestly before accepting.
  4. 4Keep your academic record clean: teaching bursaries usually require you to pass each year to keep the funding.
  5. 5If you are already teaching and want to upgrade your qualification, look for part-time and in-service study funding specifically.

Eligibility checklist

Run through this before you submit. It is a general checklist — the funder’s official requirements are the ones that decide your application.

  • You meet the qualification the funder names

    Funders usually name the exact qualifications they fund. If your qualification is not named, contact the funder before spending time on the application.

  • Your academic record matches what the advert asks for

    Some adverts state a minimum average or specific subject results. Where no minimum is published, submit your most recent full academic record anyway.

  • You have the citizenship or residency status required

    Many South African programmes are limited to South African citizens or permanent residents. International scholarships often have the opposite requirement.

  • You can meet any financial-need or household-income test

    Need-based programmes ask for proof of household income. Read what counts as proof and who has to sign it before the closing date.

  • You can commit to the conditions attached

    Work-back service, vacation work, relocation, minimum pass requirements and annual re-application are all common. Check what the funder attaches to the award.

  • You applied through the official channel, before the deadline

    Apply on the funder's own portal or email address, keep your reference number, and save a copy of everything you submitted.

Common questions

Do I choose where I teach afterwards?
Not always. Some programmes place graduates according to need. Ask the funder how placement is decided before you sign.
Can I switch to a non-teaching career later?
If a service obligation applies, leaving early usually triggers repayment terms set out in your agreement. Read that clause carefully.

SA Bursary Hub editorial team

This guide is written from the South African application process and reviewed before publication. It is general guidance, not funder policy. How we verify information.