Funding for students on teacher training courses

You can apply for loans, scholarships and training bursaries to help pay for your fees and living costs while you're studying to become a teacher.

• Tution fee loan
• Living costs
• EU and overseas students
• Training bursaries of up to £27,000
• PGCE Seconday scholarships
• PGCE Early Years grants and bursaries
• PGCE Further Education Training Bursaries

Tuition fee loan

Full-time and part-time Home fee students on PGCE Secondary and Further Education can apply for a tuition fee loan to pay their fees from Student Finance England. Please note if you do not apply for a fee loan, you will need to make arrangements by the start of the course to pay the fees yourself. Please note PGCE courses are eligible for the undergraduate loan NOT the postgraduate loan.

Tuition fees information can be found on the UCL Tuition Fees page.

IMPORTANT: You cannot use the bursary or scholarship to pay fees as it is paid to you in monthly instalments over your course. You can use it to pay for your living costs.

Living costs

Full-time Home fee students can apply for a maintenance loan from Student Finance England to cover living costs.

For 2022/3, the maximum student loan for living costs for studying in London is:

• Up to £12,667: living away from parental home

• Up to £8,171: living at parental home

Other government funding is available for those with children, adult dependants and disabled students. For more information go to Student Finance website.

EU and overseas students

EU students are no longer be eligible for loans for entry onto a PGCE course in September 2023. Please see Student Finance England for more information.

Students from non EU countries and Channel Islands/Isle of Man are not eligible for tuition fee support.

Please note EU or overseas students ordinarily resident in the UK for a certain period prior to starting the course may still qualify for a loan. For more information visit the Student Finance England website.

Training bursaries of up to £27,000

Home fee trainees starting a PGCE programme from September 2023 may be eligible to receive a training bursary for living costs. For Secondary and EYITT, the amount depends on your PGCE subject and your degree classification or highest relevant academic qualification.

If you are doing PGCE Languages or Physics (Physics with Maths) you do not need to be eligible for student support. For all other PGCE subjects you must be eligible for the provision of UK student support (tuition fee loans) from the Student Loans Company (see above). 

For Secondary and EYITT you do not need to make an application for a bursary or course grant. You will be automatically assessed for an award after you make your UCL PGCE course application and have been given an offer. We will contact you about the evidence required in the summer before your course begins.

For Further Education we will put in a claim to the Department for Education and let you know if you have been awarded a bursary or not.

PGCE Secondary bursaries for 2023/4

The Department for Education (DfE) allocate bursary funding to UCL, who in turn disburse it to eligible students. For more information please visit the Department of Education website. The bursary is a tax-free, non-repayable bursary.

The bursary rates for 2023/4:

School Direct

School Direct Tuition Fee route (Unsalaried) students can access the funding above, subject to the same eligibility criteria as PGCE Secondary students. School Direct Salaried students are not eligible for any of the funding above as this is an employment route so you will be receiving a salary.

Bursary FAQS (for PGCE Secondary, School Direct Unsalaried and Further Education)

If you have any questions about the bursary, please refer to our Training Bursary FAQs.

PGCE Secondary scholarships

You can apply for a scholarship if you are doing the following PGCE Secondary subjects. Please see links in table below for more details and how to apply. 

Trainees will usually need a 2:1, but can still apply with a 2:2 and significant experience.  As well as the financial award, scholars will receive a package of additional benefits provided by the professional bodies. You will need to apply directly to the awarding institution. For more information see Scholarships.

Trainees awarded a scholarship cannot receive a bursary. Trainees who are not awarded a scholarship may be eligible for a standard bursary. Scholarships are disbursed by UCL.

PGCE Early Years grants and bursaries

Financial support of up to £14,000 may be available depending on which training route you take. Students with the right to study or work in the UK are eligible. For more information please visit the Department of Education website.

PGCE Further Education Bursaries

The Department for Education (DfE) allocate bursary funding to UCL, who in turn disburse it to eligible students. For more information and eligibility criteria please visit the Department of Education website. The bursary is a tax-free, non-repayable bursary.

The bursary rates for 2022/23: