Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships from the Department for Education (DfE)

You may be eligible for a postgraduate teaching bursary or scholarship from the Department for Education when you train to become a teacher in certain subjects. The bursaries or scholarships is tax-free and you will not need to pay it back.

Eligibility

You must be eligible for student finance to receive a bursary or scholarship (unless you’re training to teach physics or languages).

You cannot receive a scholarship or bursary if your teacher training course is salaried.

Bursaries

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 will also need to meet the bursary scheme’s individual terms and conditions.

If you’re eligible for a bursary, you will automatically receive it - you do not need to apply.

Full details of eligibility is available on the .

Scholarships

To be eligible for a scholarship, you’ll need at least one of the following:

  • a bachelor’s degree class 2:1 (honours) or higher
  • a master’s degree
  • a PhD

In exceptional circumstances, if you achieved a 2:2 in your degree you may still be awarded a scholarship if you show you have enough relevant experience and subject knowledge.

Scholarships are offered by independent institutions, and you do need to apply for them. Each institution sets their own eligibility criteria. Details of how to apply for a scholarship are on the Get into Teaching website: 

International trainees

If train to teach languages or physics, you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship. You're unlikely to be eligible for bursaries or scholarships in other subjects. Find out more about funding for non-UK trainee teachers: 

When is funding paid?

Your bursary or scholarship will be paid in a minimum of 10 month by your teacher training provider across the duration of your course. They will confirm when you will get the payments. 

Bursaries and scholarships

The table below shows which subjects offer Department for Education postgraduate bursaries and scholarships in the 2025/26 academic year.

These scholarships and bursaries are set by the Department for Education and are subject to terms and conditions. Please be sure to check the DfE bursaries and scholarships webpage () for full details.

DfE PGCE bursaries and scholarships
SubjectBursaryScholarship
Art and design £10,000 n/a
Biology £26,000 n/a
Chemistry £29,000 £31,000
Computing £29,000 £31,000
Design and technology £26,000 n/a
English £5,000 n/a
Geography £26,000 n/a
Languages (French, German and Spanish only) £26,000 £28,000
Languages (all other languages, including ancient languages) £26,000 n/a
Maths £29,000 £31,000
Music £10,000 n/a
Physics £29,000 £31,000
Religious Education £10,000 n/a

This information was accurate when this page was built. Please check the DfE website for the most up-to-date information: