Funding for postgraduate teacher training
Eligibility
Your tuition fees and any other bursary or financial support depend on your status as a home, European Union (EU) or overseas student.
Find out more information about EU or overseas status.
All grants and bursaries are subject to conditions and you are not guaranteed funding, but you may be eligible for financial support.
Tuition fee loan
If you are on a postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) course, you will have to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees vary depending on the course and the higher education institution (HEI) or school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) provider. You should contact the HEI or SCITT provider of the course or programme you are interested in directly.
Visit the graduate teacher training website (GTTR) for full details of available courses and providers. In most cases, you need to apply for SCITT courses through the GTTR, although some SCITT providers require direct applications. View a complete list of SCITT providers.
Home and EU students may be eligible for a student loan of up to £3,145 for the academic year 2008/2009 to cover the cost of tuition fees. This is available from your local authority. More information on the tuition fee loan can be found on Directgov.
Training bursary
Trainees may be entitled to a tax free bursary from the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). The size of the bursary depends on when you start training and what subject you train to teach.
For those starting training in 2008/2009:
| Subject you train in |
Tax free bursary amount |
| Mathematics |
£9,000 (£225 a week) |
| Science |
£9,000 (£225 a week) |
| Information and communications technology |
£9,000 (£225 a week) |
| Design and technology |
£9,000 (£225 a week) |
| Modern languages |
£9,000 (£225 a week) |
| Religious education |
£9,000 (£225 a week) |
| Music |
£9,000 (£225 a week) |
| All other secondary-phase subjects |
£6,000 (£150 a week) |
| Primary phase |
£4,000 (£100 a week) |
You usually apply for your tax free bursary from your HEI or SCITT provider as part of your course induction. After you start your course, your HEI or SCITT provider should take you through the process of applying for your bursary. Your HEI or SCITT provider will then pay you your bursary directly.
To be eligible for a training bursary, you must be a home or EU trainee on a TDA funded course and be eligible for student support. More information on the eligibility for student support can be found on Directgov.
Contact your training provider for more information, or call the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991.
Student loan for maintenance
Home students may also be eligible for a student loan of up to £6,475 for the academic year 2008/2009 to help towards accommodation and other living costs. This is available from your local authority. More information on the student loan for maintenance can be found on Directgov.
Maintenance grant
Home students in England may also be eligible for a non-means tested grant of £1,260 and a means-tested grant of up to £1,575 for the academic year 2008/2009.
You can apply for both of these grants from your local authority. More details about these grants and the funding arrangements for trainees from the EU can be found at Directgov.
Golden hellos
Home and EU students could also be eligible to receive a payment of either £2,500 or £5,000 from the TDA if you complete a postgraduate ITT course and take up a permanent position teaching the subject you trained to teach in.
Find out more about golden hellos.
Becoming a teacher
