Financial support while you train to teach

Financial support may be available during your teacher training, depending on your chosen training route and the subject you want to teach.

You can apply for:

A tuition fee loan to cover the cost of your teacher training course, so you do not need to pay course fees upfront
A maintenance loan to help with living costs

You can apply for a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan if you already have a student loan, regardless of whether you get a teaching bursary or scholarship. You will only have to make loan repayments once you are earning. Your repayments will not increase if you already have a student loan and take an additional loan for teacher training.

Useful links:

Employment-based teacher training courses

If you are a trainee on an employment-based training route, such as a salaried route or a Teacher Apprenticeship route, you are treated as an employee from the beginning. This means that you will earn a salary while you train, and so will not be entitled to other financial support packages.

For salaried teacher training and the postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship route, you will be paid as a member of staff and training costs to gain QTS will be covered by the school. This may also include a PGCE element. Your salary will depend on the school you train in and what subject you are teaching. This all must be agreed in your contract of employment with the school. Not all schools will offer this route for all subjects, so you will need to do your research or speak to an expert advisor. A training programme will be part of your employment.

Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships

Bursaries and scholarships are available to trainees on tuition fee-based teacher training courses in England that lead to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

For details of bursaries and scholarships for 2025-26, see below:

https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-support/scholarships-and-bursaries

In languages and physics, trainees starting courses in the academic year 2025-26 will not need to be eligible for student finance to be eligible for a bursary or scholarship.

In all other subjects, trainees are only eligible for a bursary or scholarship if they are entitled to support under the student finance criteria.

Non-UK trainees should read Train to teach in England as a non-UK citizen. Applicants with a degree from outside the UK should use Teach in England if you trained outside the UK.

Student loans and tuition fees

Tuition fee loans are paid directly to your university, college, or ITT provider. It does not matter if you already have a student loan from your undergraduate degree - you can still apply for a student loan to support your teacher training. You will not need to make any repayments until you are working and earning. Use the DfE's student finance calculator to check your eligibility.

Is any other financial help available?

You may also be eligible for extra support to help with living costs. Students with children or a disability can apply for further funding from Student Finance - this could include the Childcare Grant, Parents' Learning Allowance, Adult Dependents' grants and Disabled Students' Allowance, which do not have to be paid back. Information about these grants can be found here: www.gov.uk/student-finance/extra-help

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

DSA is paid in addition to other student finance to help pay the extra costs you may incur because of your disability. It does not have to be repaid, depends on your individual needs, and is not assessed according to your household income. Find out more here: www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas