PGCE Funding and Teacher Training Bursaries

If you’re thinking about applying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in England, you’re in luck: there are lots of funding options available. You may even be eligible for one of the bursaries for PGCE from the UK Government or a generous scholarship!

This page will talk you through the different funding opportunities and explain how you can apply for financial support. We’ve also covered what you need to know if you’re an international or EU student.

PGCEs aren’t the only way to become a teacher in the UK though, so we’ve clarified the funding situation for Scottish Professional Graduate Diplomas in Education (PGDEs), as well as the other routes you can take.

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 £24,000 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 £7,000 and £10,000 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 paid in 10 equal monthly instalments, running from October to July. So, if you receive a £24,000 bursary, you’ll get ten monthly payments of £2,400.

Your teacher training provider will administer these payments, so it’s a good idea to confirm the schedule with them.

Although your bursary isn’t taxable, it might be counted as capital income if you receive state benefits. Check with your local benefits office to see how it might affect your status.

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 £26,000 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.

If you’re studying a PGCE in England, you may be able to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 through Student Finance England so that you don’t have to pay course fees upfront. This is non-means-tested, so your financial circumstances won’t be taken into account.

Depending on your situation, you could also apply for a maintenance loan of up to £12,382 if you’re a UK national, normally live in England and have been in the UK for three years before the start of your course. The amount you receive varies according to your household income and whether or not you’re living with your parents.

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 enrol on a PGCE, you’ll need the equivalent of a Bachelors degree and secondary qualifications in English and Maths at the same level as a UK GCSE grade C / 4.

If your qualifications are from outside the UK, training providers might ask that you show evidence that they meet these minimum requirements. UK ENIC can help certify your previous academic achievements.

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

Funding options for the Scottish PGDE depend on where you’re from and where you live.

If you’re ‘ordinarily resident’ in Scotland (i.e. you live in Scotland for reasons other than study), the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) will pay the tuition fees for a PGDE in full. You might also be eligible for a bursary and loan, depending on your age and financial circumstances.

Non-UK EU nationals who have lived in the EEA for three years before the start of the course may also be eligible for a tuition fee award from the SAAS.

If you’re from elsewhere in the UK but moved to Scotland to study, you won’t normally be eligible for support from the SAAS. Instead, you should apply for funding through your 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 a significant sum as an incentive to complete your teacher training in Wales.

For example, if you have a 1:1 undergraduate degree, Masters or a PhD, you may be eligible to receive £20,000 to specialise in the following high priority subjects:

• Biology
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Welsh
• Computer Sciences

Teacher training grants are also available to people in the following circumstances:

• £15,000 for Modern Foreign Languages trainees with a 1:1, PhD or Masters
• £10,000 for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Welsh or Computer Science trainees with a 2:
• £6,000 for Modern Foreign Languages trainees with a 2:1
• £6,000 for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Welsh or Computer Science trainees with a 2:2
• £3,000 for Design and Technology, English, History, Religious Education, Art, Physical Education, Music, Drama, Business Studies, Outdoor Studies, General Science or Geography trainees with a 1:1, Masters or PhD

For more information, visit the Welsh government website 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 gives graduates the chance to spend a year working with at least two schools, emphasising the importance of practical classroom experience. Although School Direct courses don’t always award a PGCE, they have the same funding available, so you’ll still be eligible for the bursaries, scholarships and loans described on this page.

However, this isn’t the case for the School Direct (salaried) pathway. This allows graduates to earn a salary as an unqualified teacher before gaining QTS, but you won’t be eligible for a bursary / scholarship.

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 £2-5,000, 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