PGCE Funding and Teacher Training Bursaries

Paying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) can be done in different ways, such as bursaries, winning scholarships, or borrowing loans. Bursaries can give you between £15,000 and £27,000, depending on what you studied before. If you get a scholarship, you'll get £30,000 that you don't have to pay tax on.

Finding the right way to fund your PGCE can be confusing, but don't worry I'm here to help! I'll walk you through how to find and apply for funding, with specifics for international and EU students. I'll also cover Scottish PGDEs, and alternative paths to teaching in the UK.

What are my options for studying PGCE?

PGCE funding comes in the form of generous, tax-free bursaries offered by the UK Government to people who are interested in teaching in-demand subjects in English schools.

Teacher training bursaries of £27,000 are available to graduates in the following subjects who have at least a 2:2 (or a Masters / PhD):

• Chemistry
• Maths
• Physics
• Computing

Meanwhile, bursaries for PGCE of between £15,000 and £25,000 are offered to graduates who have at least a 2:2 or a Masters / PhD in these subjects:

• Biology
• Classics
• Languages

For more information on teacher training bursaries and eligibility, please visit Get Into Teaching, the UK government’s website on teacher training finance.

Who is eligible for PGCE funding?

Bursaries for PGCE are based on eligibility criteria set by Student Finance England. In practice, this means that you could be entitled to financial support if you’re a UK national and enrolled on a teacher training course that charges tuition fees and leads to qualified teacher status (QTS) in England. International students may also be eligible under certain circumstances.

How do I apply for a PGCE bursary?

Applying for a teaching bursary couldn’t be any easier – in fact, you don’t actually need to apply! All you need to do is make sure you’re enrolled on a fee-based postgraduate teacher training programme, meet the relevant eligibility criteria, and your training provider will automatically begin the payment once you start the course.

How are PGCE bursaries paid?

PGCE bursaries are split into 10 monthly payments from October to July; for example, a £24,000 bursary means £2,400 each month. Your training provider handles the payments — make sure to check the timing with them. Bursaries aren't taxed but can affect state benefits, so verify with your benefits office.

As well as bursaries for PGCE, there are also PGCE scholarships. These are offered to talented trainer teachers in certain subject areas, instead of bursaries. You must be enrolled on an eligible course in England. They are awarded in partnership with the relevant professional association:

• Chemistry
• Computing
• Maths
• Physics

If successful, you’ll receive a £30,000 tax-free scholarship.

Extra funding isn’t the only benefit offered by these scholarships; you’ll also receive free membership of your professional subject association, along with extra support and networking opportunities.

Who is eligible for a PGCE scholarship?

Like bursaries, you’ll usually need to be a UK national and enrolled on a fee-based teacher training programme in England to qualify for a PGCE scholarship. International may also be eligible in certain circumstances.

The academic requirement for a scholarship is a 2:1 Bachelors degree in an appropriate subject area (or a Masters / PhD). In some cases you might be able to apply with a 2:2, but you’ll need to show that you have significant professional experience.

How do I apply for a PGCE scholarship?

You apply for a PGCE scholarship through the website of the relevant professional subject body:

• Computing (British Computer Society)
• Chemistry (Royal Society of Chemistry)
• Maths (Institute of Mathematics and its Applications)
• Physics (Institute of Physics)

If your application isn’t successful, you’ll still receive the usual bursary for your subject.

Even if you receive a bursary or scholarship, you could be eligible for a student loan to cover the costs of your PGCE.

In England, PGCE students can get a tuition fee loan up to £9,250 from Student Finance England, regardless of financial status. UK nationals living in England for three years before their course may also get a maintenance loan up to £12,382, with the amount based on household income and living situation.

If you’re a resident of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you should apply for a maintenance loan through your local student finance organisation.

Please note that all of these loans are part of the undergraduate student finance system, not the postgraduate loans that Masters students can apply for.

For more information on loan amounts and eligibility, visit the UK Government’s student finance page.

Generally speaking, eligibility for PGCE funding is dependent on you being eligible for UK student finance. However, there are a few circumstances in which international students may be eligible for these teacher training bursaries and scholarships:

• You are an EU national with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
• You are an Irish national who have lived in the UK or Ireland for the past three years
• You (or a family member) have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK
• You are 18 or above and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or half of your life)

For more information, take a look at the UK government's advice on eligibility for student finance. Alternatively, the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has detailed guides to international eligibility for financial support.

Qualifications from outside the UK

To join a PGCE programme, you need a Bachelor's degree and English and Maths qualifications equal to a UK GCSE grade C/4. If your qualifications are from abroad, you may need to prove they're equivalent, and UK ENIC can verify them for you.

Elsewhere in the UK, there are different funding systems in place to help people studying teacher training courses.

Scottish Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) funding

Scottish PGDE funding varies with your residency. If you live in Scotland not just for study, SAAS covers your full tuition. You may also get a bursary and loan based on age and finances.

EU nationals living in the EEA for three years before their course may get tuition fees paid by SAAS. UK students who moved to Scotland for study usually can't get SAAS funds but should seek aid from their local student finance body. (England, Wales or Northern Ireland).

The Welsh Government offers PGCE funding to trainee teachers. Depending on your subject and your academic achievements, you could receive £15,000 as an incentive to complete your teacher training in Wales.

For more information, visit the Welsh government website. 

PGCE funding in Northern Ireland

PGCEs in Northern Ireland are funded using the undergraduate student finance system. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for loans and grants to help you with your studies.

PGCEs aren’t the only way to become a teacher in the UK. There are several other routes into teaching, each with their own funding options.

School Direct funding

The School Direct programme offers graduates a year of experience in at least two schools without always awarding a PGCE, yet you can still get bursaries, scholarships, and loans. However, the salaried School Direct path lets you earn as an unqualified teacher while gaining QTS but doesn't qualify for bursaries / scholarships.

Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) funding

The Postgraduate Diploma in Education is an alternative to the PGCE, offering 120 CATS credits rather than the PGCE’s 60 credits. Don’t confuse it with the Scottish PGDE, which is a completely different qualification!

A PGDE is eligible for the same funding as a PGCE, including bursaries, scholarships and student finance support.

Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT)

If you’re interested in teaching children up to the age of five, you’ll need to gain Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). Depending on the route to EYTS you decide to take, there are a few funding options available:

• Graduate entry – You’ll receive a £7,000 grant to cover tuition fees, along with a bursary of £2,000 - 5,000, depending on your degree classification
• Graduate employment-based – This route has funding of £14,000. £7,000 goes toward tuition fees, while the rest is meant to contribute towards costs faced by your employer (i.e. supply cover).
• Assessment only – Designed for people with previous experience working with young children, this is a self-funded option for those that don’t need any further training

1. Get on it ASAP: A bunch of funding options come with deadlines, so the sooner you throw your hat in the ring, the better your shot at snagging that financial help.
2. Think about a side hustle: If you've got some wiggle room in your timetable, picking up a part-time job could be a solid move to stack some extra cash while you hit the books.
3. Research University Scholarships: Lots of places have their own scholarships, so don't be shy — swing by your school's financial aid office and see what kind of goodies they've got on offer.