Tuition fee and maintenance loans
Funding is available to help you train to teach. You can apply for a:
- tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 to cover your teacher training, so you do not need to pay course fees upfront
- maintenance loan of up to £12,667 to help with living costs
You can still apply for a tuition fee and a maintenance loan if you already have a student loan, and regardless of whether you get a teaching bursary or scholarship.
You will only have to make loan repayments once you’re earning. Your repayments will not increase if you already have a student loan and take an additional loan for teacher training.
Use the student finance calculator on GOV.UK to find out how much funding you can get.
Bursaries and scholarships
You may be eligible for a teaching bursary or scholarship when training to teach.
These are tax-free amounts of money you receive to train in certain subjects. You do not need to pay them back.
You do not need to apply for a bursary. If you’re eligible, you’ll automatically receive it.
Scholarships are offered by independent institutions. They set their own eligibility criteria and you’ll need to apply through the relevant scholarship body.
Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships
Postgraduate teaching bursaries and scholarships are only available for the subjects listed below. You cannot receive both a teaching bursary and a scholarship.
| Subject | Bursary | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | £10,000 | |
| Chemistry | £24,000 | £26,000 |
| Computing | £24,000 | £26,000 |
| Design and technology | £15,000 | |
| Geography | £15,000 | |
|
Languages (including ancient languages) |
£15,000 | |
| Maths | £24,000 | £26,000 |
| Physics | £24,000 | £26,000 |
To be eligible for a bursary, you’ll need at least one of the following:
- a bachelor’s degree class 2:2 (honours) or higher
- a master’s degree
- a PhD
You’ll also need to meet the bursary scheme’s individual terms and conditions.
Find out more about your eligibility for teaching bursaries(opens in new window).
To find out if you’re eligible for a scholarship and to apply, you can visit the relevant scholarship body:
- the Royal Society of Chemistry(opens in new window) (chemistry)
- BCS The Chartered Institute for IT(opens in new window) (computing)
- the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications(opens in new window) (maths)
- the Institute of Physics(opens in new window) (physics)
Undergraduate bursaries
You may be eligible for a bursary of £9,000(opens in new window) if you do a secondary maths or physics course that leads to ‘qualified teacher status’ (QTS).
You may also be eligible if you do an opt-in QTS course in secondary computing, languages, mathematics or physics. This is where you start a standard undergraduate degree but then opt-in to initial teacher training to get QTS.
The amount you receive depends on the year that you start your QTS course. You do not get a bursary in every year of an undergraduate course. Depending on the type of course you do, you may get the bursary in your final year or final two years.
If you are former military personnel
You may be eligible for a Troops to Teachers(opens in new window) tax-free bursary of £40,000 if you’re:
- training to teach secondary biology, physics, chemistry, computing, maths or languages
- doing an undergraduate degree leading to QTS in England
If you're unsure about whether you qualify for a bursary or scholarship you can chat to us, or call us on 0800 389 2500.
Open Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 5:30pm.
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Email: getintoteaching.getintoteaching@education.gov.uk
If you’re a parent or carer
If you have children or other caring responsibilities you may be able to get extra financial support through the following grants and schemes:
- Childcare Grant(opens in new window)
- Parents’ Learning Allowance(opens in new window)
- Adult Dependants’ Grant(opens in new window)
If you’re disabled
You may be able to get support if you’re a student and you’re disabled, have a learning difficulty or health problem(opens in new window).
If you do paid training you may also be eligible for support(opens in new window).
Learn more about training to teach if you’re disabled.
If you come from outside England
If you live in Wales(opens in new window), Scotland(opens in new window) or Northern Ireland(opens in new window) you’ll need to contact your country’s student finance body to learn more about your eligibility for funding.
Contact the education authority if you live in the Channel Islands (Jersey(opens in new window) and Guernsey(opens in new window)) or on the Isle of Man(opens in new window).
If you’re not a UK citizen, you are unlikely to get help funding your training unless you have permission to live permanently in the UK(opens in new window), for example under the EU Settlement Scheme. You will also need to meet some other eligibility requirements.