Funding for training in England
A range of incentives and financial support are available both during and after your training.
Funding for initial teacher training is normally only available to home or EU students and for overseas students. Please discuss your options with your teacher training provider.
All grants and bursaries are subject to conditions and you are not guaranteed funding but you may be eligible for:
Undergraduate funding
Your local authority and university or college will assess your eligibility for undergraduate funding and the amount you receive could vary significantly. All undergraduate students are eligible for a grant of up to £2,765 from their local authority (LA), which is means-tested by the LA. For full details of available support please see the information at Directgov.
Postgraduate funding
You may be able to get a maintenance grant or special support grant of up to £2,835 for 2008/2009.
Students from the European Union can access information on funding arrangements at Directgov.
Eligible postgraduate trainee teachers are also entitled to a tax-free bursary. The value of this depends on where you train, the subject you train to teach, and when you start your course. The figures below apply to those who begin their teacher training after August 2008.
| 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 will usually apply for your bursary as part of your course induction. Contact your training provider for more information, or call the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991.
Golden hello
When you have successfully completed your initial teacher training (ITT) course and accepted a newly qualified teacher (NQT) position, you may be eligible for a one-off taxable golden hello payment of between £2,500 and £5,000. Find out more about the golden hello.
Other funding and grants
You may be eligible for other support. Contact your local authority to find out what you might be entitled to, or visit the Directgov website for details of financial support available in England.
Employment-based funding
Trainee teachers on the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP), the Registered Teacher Programme (RTP) and the Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (OTTP, England only) all receive a salary from their school. This is at least equal to the minimum point on the unqualified teacher pay scale, but your school may choose to pay you more.
In general, if you take an employment-based route into teaching in England, the TDA will pay your school to cover the cost of your training.
