Many graduates who want to move into teaching ask whether NSFAS will pay for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education at Unisa. The direct answer is no. NSFAS does not fund the PGCE at Unisa under its standard bursary scheme, because the PGCE is a postgraduate qualification, and NSFAS funding is reserved almost entirely for first undergraduate study. This article explains why the PGCE falls outside NSFAS coverage, what funding options actually exist for PGCE students, and how a prospective teacher can plan around this gap.
Quick Answer
NSFAS funds undergraduate qualifications such as higher certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and bachelor’s degrees at public universities including Unisa. The PGCE sits on NQF Level 7 as a postgraduate qualification that requires an existing bachelor’s degree or approved diploma for entry, and NSFAS’s standard means-tested bursary does not extend to postgraduate study of this kind. A student who already used NSFAS funding to complete an undergraduate degree, and now wants to add a PGCE to qualify as a teacher, generally has to look elsewhere for financial support.
Why the PGCE Does Not Fall Under Standard NSFAS Funding
NSFAS was established primarily to help students from poor and working-class households obtain a first undergraduate qualification. Its funding rules are structured around that purpose, which is why postgraduate diplomas, honours degrees, and certificates such as the PGCE are excluded from the main NSFAS bursary and loan scheme. Since a PGCE applicant already holds a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification before enrolling, NSFAS treats this stage of study as a second phase of education rather than a first qualification, and it is this second-phase status that removes it from ordinary NSFAS eligibility.
Unisa’s own qualification listings classify the PGCE under postgraduate teacher education programmes, distinct from the Bachelor of Education, which is an undergraduate degree that NSFAS does fund. A student who wants NSFAS support for teacher training and does not yet hold a degree is generally better placed applying for the Bachelor of Education rather than waiting to fund a PGCE later, since the undergraduate route keeps the door open for NSFAS assistance from the start.
PGCE Funding Options Outside NSFAS
Because NSFAS does not cover the PGCE, most funded PGCE students in South Africa rely on a bursary programme run through the Department of Basic Education rather than through NSFAS. This programme, aimed specifically at growing the pool of qualified teachers in subjects where the country faces shortages, pays tuition and a monthly allowance to students who commit to teaching in a public school for a set number of years after graduating. Applicants apply directly through the department’s own bursary portal, not through myNSFAS, and the two schemes operate under completely separate administrative systems.
| Funding Source | Applies To | Administered By | Repayment Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSFAS bursary | Undergraduate qualifications at public universities and TVET colleges | National Student Financial Aid Scheme | Non-repayable if the student meets academic progress requirements |
| Teaching bursary (Department of Basic Education) | PGCE and Bachelor of Education students in priority subject areas | Department of Basic Education | Requires teaching service at a public school for a set number of years after graduation, in lieu of repayment |
| Unisa postgraduate bursary | Unisa alumni progressing into honours or postgraduate diplomas at NQF Level 8 | Unisa Division of Student Funding | Typically non-repayable, subject to academic performance |
| Private and provincial bursaries | Varies by donor or provincial education department | Individual bursary providers | Terms vary, often tied to service or academic conditions |
A PGCE student pursuing subjects such as mathematics, physical sciences, technology, or an official African language stands the strongest chance of securing the teaching bursary, since these are the subject areas most frequently listed as priority areas by the Department of Basic Education each year. Students specialising in less scarce subjects can still apply, but competition for the limited number of awards tends to be higher.
Does Unisa Offer Its Own Funding for PGCE Students?
Unisa runs a postgraduate bursary programme, but this bursary is generally aimed at students who already hold an NQF Level 7 undergraduate qualification and are progressing into an honours degree or a postgraduate diploma at NQF Level 8. Students who are only completing a PGCE, without an additional NQF Level 7 Unisa qualification behind it, typically do not meet the criteria for this internal postgraduate bursary. This means a PGCE-only applicant cannot assume that Unisa’s own bursary system will step in where NSFAS does not.
Students who already receive Unisa’s postgraduate funding for an honours qualification should not expect that funding to automatically extend to a PGCE registered separately, since the two are treated as distinct qualification types with their own eligibility rules.
What a PGCE Student at Unisa Needs to Budget For Without NSFAS
Since a Unisa PGCE student cannot rely on the standard NSFAS bursary, the qualification’s costs are usually paid privately, through a teaching bursary, through an employer’s study assistance scheme, or through a personal student loan. The main costs to plan for include:
- Tuition fees, which are calculated per module and vary depending on how many modules a student registers for in a semester
- A non-refundable application fee, payable when applying to the programme regardless of whether the applicant is eventually accepted
- Prescribed textbooks and study guides for each module
- Data and connectivity costs, since the PGCE is delivered through Unisa’s distance learning platform and requires regular access to myUnisa for study material, assessments, and communication
- Practical teaching or work-integrated learning components, which may involve costs related to travel or materials depending on the placement school
A student who is self-funding the PGCE should register for a realistic number of modules each semester, since spreading tuition costs over a longer study period is often more manageable than trying to complete the qualification in the shortest possible time without adequate funding in place.
How to Apply for PGCE Funding Through the Teaching Bursary
Since NSFAS is not the route to follow for PGCE funding, applicants need to direct their funding application to the correct programme. The general process looks like this:
- Apply for admission to the PGCE at Unisa during the official application window, selecting the subject specialisation stream that matches the applicant’s existing degree.
- Separately apply for the Department of Basic Education’s teaching bursary through its own online application system, submitting proof of admission or intended study, academic transcripts, and identity documents.
- Indicate a willingness to teach in a public school after graduation, since this commitment is a condition of the bursary rather than an optional preference.
- Wait for confirmation of both university admission and bursary approval, since the two processes run independently and neither guarantees the other.
- Register for PGCE modules at Unisa once admission and funding are both confirmed, and keep proof of registration for submission to the bursary administrator if required.
- Maintain the academic performance level required to keep the bursary active for the full duration of the PGCE, since most teaching bursaries require satisfactory progress each year.
Applicants who miss the funding application window for a given intake often need to wait for the next annual application cycle, since these bursary programmes generally do not accept late submissions outside their published dates.
Common Misunderstandings About NSFAS and the PGCE
A number of students assume that because NSFAS previously funded their undergraduate degree, the same funding will simply continue into a PGCE. This is incorrect, since NSFAS treats the PGCE as a new, separate, and postgraduate stage of study that falls outside its standard funding mandate. Others assume that because Unisa is a public university and NSFAS funds public universities in general, every qualification offered by Unisa must be covered. This is also incorrect, since NSFAS funding decisions are based on the level and type of qualification, not simply on which institution offers it.
A further point of confusion involves the difference between a loan and a bursary. NSFAS undergraduate funding for qualifying students is generally non-repayable, while teaching bursaries for the PGCE require the graduate to work as a teacher in a public school for an agreed number of years instead of repaying the money directly. A student who accepts a teaching bursary and does not fulfil the required service period may be required to repay the funding, so this condition should be read carefully before accepting an award.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a student use leftover NSFAS undergraduate funding to pay for a PGCE at Unisa?
No. NSFAS funding is allocated per academic year and per approved qualification. Once an undergraduate qualification is complete, that NSFAS funding does not transfer to a new postgraduate qualification such as the PGCE.
Is there any circumstance where NSFAS funds a PGCE directly?
NSFAS’s standard bursary and loan scheme is built around undergraduate study, so a PGCE application submitted through the ordinary NSFAS channel is not expected to be approved. Funding for the PGCE comes primarily through the Department of Basic Education’s teaching bursary rather than through NSFAS itself.
Does choosing the Bachelor of Education instead of the PGCE make a student eligible for NSFAS?
Yes, in most cases. The Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate qualification, which places it within the scope of qualifications NSFAS can fund, unlike the PGCE, which is postgraduate.
What happens if a PGCE student cannot secure any bursary?
Students without bursary funding typically self-fund through personal savings, an employer’s study assistance benefit, or a private student loan, and often register for fewer modules per semester to manage tuition costs over a longer study period.
Final Word
NSFAS does not fund the PGCE at Unisa because the qualification is postgraduate, and NSFAS funding is built around supporting a student’s first undergraduate qualification. Prospective teachers who need financial support for the PGCE should apply directly to the Department of Basic Education’s teaching bursary programme, particularly if they are specialising in a scarce-skills subject, since this remains the primary funding route for this stage of teacher training in South Africa.