Bursaries and scholarships
There are three types of funding available for teacher training - depending on your circumstances, you could receive all three:
1. Tax-free bursary or scholarship
2. Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan
3. Additional financial support if you’re a parent or have a disability
An overview of the bursaries and scholarships available can be found in the table below. You'll need a first, 2:1, 2:2, PhD or Master's to be eligible for a bursary or scholarship. Further information on tuition fee and maintenance loans and additional financial support can be found on the funding my training page. Alternatively, you could earn a salary while you train.
The financial offer for chemistry, languages, maths or physics
| Chemistry, languages, maths or physics | £26,000 bursary | £6,000 | £32,000 | ||
| £28,000 scholarship 3 | £34,000 | ||||
| Eligibility 2020/2021 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, PhD or Master's | Early-career payments 2 | Total 2 | |||
| Subject | Chemistry, languages, maths or physics 2 |
| Scholarships 3 | £28,000 |
| Early-career payments 2 | £6,000 |
| Total 2 | £34,000 |
| Bursary | £26,000 |
| Early-career payments 2 | £6,000 |
| Total 2 | £32,000 |
The scholarships and bursaries for other subjects
| Eligibility 2020/2021 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarships 3 | Bursaries | ||||
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, PhD or Master's | |||||
| Computing | £28,000 | £26,000 | |||
| Biology | - | £26,000 | |||
| Classics 4 | - | £26,000 | |||
| Geography | £17,000 | £15,000 | |||
| D&T | - | £15,000 | |||
| English | - | £12,000 | |||
| History, RE, business studies | - | £9,000 | |||
| Art and design, music | - | £9,000 | |||
| Primary with maths 5 | - | £6,000 | |||
| Subject | Computing |
| Scholarships 3 | £28,000 |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £26,000 |
| Subject | Geography |
| Scholarships 3 | £17,000 |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £15,000 |
| Subject | Classics 4 |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £26,000 |
| Subject | Biology |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £26,000 |
| Subject | D&T |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £15,000 |
| Subject | English |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £12,000 |
| Subject | History, RE, business studies |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £9,000 |
| Subject | Art and design, music |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £9,000 |
| Subject | Primary with maths 5 |
| Bursaries | |
| Trainee with 1st, 2:1, 2:2, Master's or PhD | £6,000 |
- Bursaries and scholarships are available to trainees on a fee-based teacher training course in England that leads to the award of qualified teacher status. Availability is dependent on your highest relevant academic award and the subject in which you are training to teach. To receive a bursary or scholarship you must be entitled to support under the Student Finance England criteria. Residents of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will need to be entitled for support as set out by your country’s student finance body (Student Finance Wales, Student Awards Agency Scotland or Student Finance NI). Both elements will be assessed by your teacher training provider. Candidates with overseas degrees, may be asked to formally recognise any overseas qualifications through UK NARIC. We can help you with this. Contact us on 0800 389 2500 and we can provide you with guidance on your equivalent qualifications and a free UK NARIC statement of comparability (this usually costs £49.50 plus VAT) once you’ve submitted your application to teacher training, if required by your training provider.
- You could receive £32k or £34k in total - £26k as a tax-free bursary or £28k scholarship with additional payments of £6k after tax once in teaching. You'll need to have completed a non-salaried teacher training course and received a bursary or scholarship in the academic year 2020/21, You’ll receive three additional early-career payments of £2k each in your second, third and fourth year of teaching - enhancements to these payments are available if you teach in specified areas in England. You must have taught in a state-funded school in England since completing your teacher training course. View the full terms and conditions.
- Trainees in physics, maths, languages, chemistry, geography and computing with a 2:1 or above are able to apply for a teacher training scholarship with the appropriate professional body. You can still apply if you have a 2:2, but you’ll need to provide evidence of significant relevant experience. Scholarships are awarded in place of a bursary. Languages scholarships are only available if you train to teach French, German or Spanish.
- Bursaries are available to trainees on a classics course where the course is in an ancient language (Latin or Ancient Greek).
- Bursaries are available to trainees on primary with maths courses with at least grade B maths A level or equivalent.
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Scholarships
In partnership with highly regarded professional subject associations, scholarships are awarded to the most gifted trainees looking to inspire young minds in chemistry, computing, geography, languages, maths, and physics.
Find out more about scholarships
Funding by subject
Get an in-depth look at the funding available for your chosen subject, including School Direct (salaried).
Find out more about funding for your preferred subject
How bursaries and scholarships are paid
How you receive payments will depend on the amount of funding you receive. Your training provider will generally inform you of how your payments will be processed, but this short guide should also help as an overview.
Find out more about how payments are processed
Tuition fee and maintenance loans
Further financial support in the form of maintenance and tuition fee loans is available for all subjects, regardless of your qualifications.
Find out more about tuition fee and maintenance loans for postgraduate teacher training