The Department for Education (DfE) - Maths, Chemistry & Physics Scholarships from the DfE

What you get

You will receive a tax-free grant of scholarship of about EUR 35,500 (GBP 31,000) to train as a chemistry or physics teacher in England. Your training provider will pay out this amount over a period of at least 10 months, and you will never have to repay it. In addition to the funding, you will receive membership of a scientific professional body, subject-specific mentoring (individual support from an experienced teacher), events and teaching materials. The UK Department for Education (DfE) funds the grants. The schemes are administered by the respective scientific bodies: the Royal Society of Chemistry for chemistry and the Institute of Physics for physics.

The scholarship is the higher, merit-based grant. You cannot receive both a scholarship and a student grant at the same time. Please note that the mathematics scholarship for 2026/27 has been discontinued, meaning that only scholarships for chemistry and physics are now available.

Who can apply

• Course: You are undertaking a fee-paying postgraduate teacher training programme in England, which leads to ‘Qualified Teacher Status’ (QTS), the qualification required to teach at state schools. Paid (salaried) training programmes are not permitted.
• Subject: You are training to become a chemistry or physics teacher.
• Degree: You hold a Bachelor’s degree from 2:1 (with distinction) or higher, a Master’s degree or a PhD. A degree from 2:2 may also be sufficient if you have sufficient relevant experience and specialist knowledge.
• Student finance: You are eligible for student finance in England. If you are not a British citizen, you will need a residence permit to live in the United Kingdom on a permanent basis.
• No double funding: Whilst you are receiving a scholarship, you are not eligible for financial support.

How to apply

You should apply directly to the academic body responsible for your subject area: the Royal Society of Chemistry for chemistry, or the Institute of Physics for physics. Each body sets its own deadlines and selection criteria; please therefore check the relevant organisation’s website for further details. You will also need a place on a teacher training degree programme, which you can apply for via the DfE Apply service. If your scholarship application is rejected, you may still be eligible for student finance.