Financial support is available to undergraduate, postgraduate and employment-based prospective teachers during and after training. In all cases, funding is subject to conditions and is not guaranteed.

For detailed information on all aspects of funding, go to TDA: Financial support for undergraduate, postgraduate and employment-based initial teacher training.

Bursaries

For undergraduate and postgraduate trainees, opportunities include tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and maintenance grants. Postgraduate PGCE and SCITT trainees may also be eligible for a tax-free bursary from the TDA during the training year. The size of the bursary depends on when training begins and the subject you train to teach.

Golden hellos

After training, those qualifying through postgraduate PGCE and SCITT routes may be entitled to a ‘Golden Hello’ on completion of the induction period, at the start of the second year of teaching.

A Golden Hello is a one-off taxable bonus paid to eligible NQTs who have trained to teach ‘priority’ subjects and who take up a position teaching this subject in a maintained school or non-maintained special school. Teaching in the primary phase is not currently a ‘priority’ subject (2009/2010) and is therefore not eligible for the Golden Hello, at present.

Employment based routes

GTP, RTP and OTTP trainee teachers are employed by their training school and receive a salary which is at least equal to the minimum point on the unqualified teacher pay scale. Some TDA-funded places are available on employment-based routes and contributions are made towards the cost of training and/or the salary.

The school or sponsoring-body may be willing to cover the cost of salary and training for non-TDA-funded places.