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Finance for postgraduate Initial Teacher Training courses

Postgraduate routes to qualifying as a teacher include:

• studying full-time or part-time for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Professional Certificate of Education 
  
• taking a School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) course (these often lead to a PGCE qualification)
  

Unlike other postgraduate students, students doing a postgraduate ITT course can apply for the standard student finance package - the Student Loans and grants usually available only to full-time students doing a first higher education course.

On top of this, there’s additional support available for postgraduate ITT students.

• Initial Teacher Training: Student Loans, grants and bursaries

Training bursaries for postgraduate trainee teachers

Postgraduate students can apply for a training bursary from the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).

Training bursaries vary between £4,000 (£100 a week) and £9,000 (£225 a week), depending on whether you train to teach in a primary or secondary school, the subject you train in and when you start your course. There’s a supplementary bursary available for students training to teach secondary maths, physics or chemistry through the extended PGCE.

Training bursaries are tax-free for full-time students. If you’re a part-time student, it may be taxable - this depends on your income. For more information about paying tax on your training bursary, you should contact your tax office.

• More on PGCE and extended PGCE courses Opens new window

• Contact your tax office Opens new window

Applying for the TDA training bursary

The TDA training bursary is administered by your training provider (your university, college or SCITT) on behalf of the TDA. You’ll usually apply for the bursary as part of your course induction, but if you have any questions about eligibility you can contact the teaching information line on 08450 6000 991 - or ask your training provider.

• Funding for Initial Teacher Training in England: more about the TDA training bursary Opens new window

Golden hellos

Postgraduate students who have trained to teach certain subjects at secondary level may be entitled to a one-off taxable bonus called a 'golden hello' once they’ve completed their induction year.

Golden hellos are available to eligible newly-qualified teachers taking up a job in a maintained school or non-maintained special school in England after training to teach in one of the 'priority' secondary school subjects. A golden hello is worth between £2,500 and £5,000, depending on the subject you train to teach. See ‘More about golden hellos’ for further details, including information on eligibility criteria.

• More about golden hellos Opens new window

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• Initial Teacher Training: what financial help can you get?