UK Government - Postgraduate Teacher Training

What you get

Complete a one-year PGCE course at the University of Chichester to qualify to teach specific school subjects. A PGCE is a ‘Postgraduate Certificate in Education’, which grants you the qualification to teach. For the year of your training, you can receive a tax-free bursary of up to about 34,000 EUR (29,000 GBP), which you will never have to repay. The amount depends on your subject. For courses starting between September 2026 and July 2027: Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics are funded up to approximately 34,000 EUR (29,000 GBP); Design and Technology, as well as languages such as French, German and Spanish, up to approximately 23,500 EUR (20,000 GBP); Biology and Geography are funded up to approximately 5,900 EUR (5,000 GBP). The funding is paid out over at least 10 months of the course and is exempt from tax and social security contributions.

Instead of a scholarship, you can apply for a scholarship in the subjects of chemistry, computer science or physics (up to approx. 36,500 EUR / 31,000 GBP) or languages (up to approx. 25,900 EUR / 22,000 GBP). A scholarship includes mentoring (individual support from an experienced teacher), subject-specific support and membership of a professional body. You cannot receive both a scholarship and a study grant at the same time. The UK Government’s ‘Get Into Teaching’ programme funds both, and the university handles the payments. For some subjects, neither a study grant nor a scholarship is available, including primary school teaching, English, history, music, sport, art and dance.

Who can apply

• Course: You are studying for a PGCE at the University of Chichester, which leads to a teaching qualification.
• Subject: Your course is linked to a scholarship (see the amounts mentioned above).
• Degree: To be eligible for a scholarship, you must hold at least a bachelor’s degree with distinction (grade 2:2), a master’s degree or a doctoral degree. To be eligible for a scholarship, you must have a degree with a grade of 2:1 or higher, a Master’s degree or a PhD. If you have a degree with a grade of 2:2, you may still be eligible for a scholarship provided you can demonstrate relevant professional experience.
• Student finance: You are entitled to support from Student Finance England.
• Nationality: British citizens are eligible to apply. If you are not a British citizen, you are eligible to apply provided you hold indefinite leave to remain in the UK and are eligible for student finance.
• Course type: You are currently on an unpaid teacher training course. A paid teacher training course is not permitted.

How to apply

You do not need to apply for the scholarship separately. When you apply for the PGCE, the university will check your eligibility and confirm this in writing before you start your course. You simply need to provide your bank details online. You should apply for a scholarship directly to the awarding body, such as the Royal Society of Chemistry, the BCS, the Institute of Physics or the British Council.

How realistic are your chances?

Scholarships are not a competitive process. If you teach one of the listed subjects, have the required final grade and are eligible for student finance, you will receive the money automatically. A suitable applicant can essentially be certain of receiving it. Scholarships are more selective, as the professional bodies set their own assessment criteria, but they are open to anyone who meets the requirements. Your chances are good if you teach a subject where there is a shortage of teachers, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry or computer science.