Teaching Bursaries & PCGE Funding

In the UK, there is a great deal of funding available for postgraduate students planning on studying a Masters in Education or a teacher training postgraduate program. So let’s take a look at some of the teaching bursaries and PGCE bursaries that are out there for all those students interested in getting into teaching.

UK Government teaching bursaries

The UK Government provides substantial teaching bursaries and scholarships to those students wishing to train as teachers in certain subject areas mostly at the secondary level. If you have already gained an excellent undergraduate or postgraduate degree or have worked in a role for the last three years in one of the desired subject areas, then you are entitled to £6,000 and up to £22,000 tax-free with an additional £10,000 after tax. Subjects such as Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, History, Music and Primary School Teaching with Maths all qualify for the scholarship. International Students do not usually qualify on residency grounds for most UK Government postgraduate funding opportunities.

Apply for one of our x5 bursaries worth £2,000

We've launched our new Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries for 2024. Full-time, part-time, online and blended-learning students eligible. 2024 & 2025 January start dates students welcome. Study postgraduate courses in any subject taught anywhere worldwide.

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Chevening Scholarships

The Chevening Scholarships are awarded by the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office through British Embassies to international students from every country and usually offer students around £26,000 to cover costs for a year of study. Any subject area can qualify for a Chevening Scholarship, but scholarships are usually given out to students concentrating on subjects that their local British Embassy is focussed on. Masters programs in Education or Teaching would most likely be a priority area for many British Embassies.

Marshall Scholarships

For American students, the Marshall Scholarships offer funding for postgraduate study in the UK and is run by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission. The Marshall Scholarship covers any subject for postgraduate study including topics like Teaching and Education. Just like the Chevening Scholarships, Marshall Scholarships are about encouraging good international relations and training leaders for the future, so those wanting to study a PGCE course to work in the UK, rather than a Masters in Education, may not gain a scholarship.

University teaching bursaries & scholarships

Not all teaching students will qualify for UK Government scholarships and teaching bursaries, for example many primary school level teaching courses are not eligible. Most universities offer a bursary worth between £500 and £2,000 to their teaching students on commencement of the course. For example the University of Manchester gives out merit scholarships of £2,000 to their best students and £800 to those concentrating on teaching Economics or Business at the secondary level. Other universities give bursaries and scholarships to all of their students, for example, Bath Spa University gives all of its trainee teachers a £500 scholarship as a thank you when they start. Many universities, like the University of Manchester and the University of Glasgow, also offer substantial scholarships or discounts off of tuition fees for alumni.

Scholarships from professional associations

For those who are planning on becoming a secondary level teacher focussing on a single subject, there are a number of subject related professional associations and organisations who sponsor teaching students. Associations like the Royal Society of Chemistry, the British Council and the Institute of Physics all offer students who have an excellent academic track record in their subject, which means they have at least a lower second class honours undergraduate degree in the appropriate subject, a scholarship along with other benefits. These other benefits include networking opportunities with members of the professional association, free membership of the association, access to special resources throughout your training and support to improve your teaching skills and subject knowledge.

Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries

x5 Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries worth £2,000 each are available to PGCE students and those studying postgraduate courses in education or teaching. This simple online form takes just minutes to complete – and if successful the PGCE applicant will be awarded £500 towards their tuition fees. It's for any postgraduate student in the UK, so if you're an international student on a postgraduate course in Teaching or Education, then you're eligible to apply for the bursary.

Our PGCE bursary winner & funding opportunity

Georgia Flint is a 22-year-old British student studying a School Direct Primary PGCE at the University of Winchester. Georgia is really enjoying studying her PGCE and can't wait to be a qualified teacher with her own class of students. She was shocked and delighted when she found out she had been awarded a Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary.

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Teaching bursaries & scholarships available in the UK

Here is a table detailing some of the teaching bursaries and scholarships that trainee teaching students can apply for in the UK.

Scholarship	Amount	Eligible Teacher Trainees
Royal Society of Chemistry	£29,000	Chemistry teachers
Institute of Physics	£29,000	Physics teachers
British Council	£27,000	Language teachers
UK Government Teaching Scholarships	£27,000 – £30,000	Chemistry, Computing, Languages, Maths & Physics teachers
Chevening Scholarships	Tuition fees & living costs	International students
Marshall Scholarships	Tuition fees & living costs	American students