Bursaries and Scholarships Available to Teach STEM Subjects

*Information correct for academic year 2022-2023 

If you have been inspired by our latest campaign Inspiration Sparkers to become a STEM Teacher, then you may be wondering about what financial help there is available to enter the teaching profession. In this blog we outline the bursaries and scholarships that you can apply for, to help your teaching dream become a reality.

What is a Bursary?

A bursary is a form of financial support that does not need to be paid back. Bursaries which are available for teaching certain subjects do not need to be applied for and will be paid automatically if you are eligible.

What is a Scholarship?

A scholarship is a financial award that is normally used to reward exceptional academic achievement. Scholarships are offered by independent institutions and therefore, they set their own eligibility criteria and you’ll need to apply through the relevant scholarship body.

What Bursaries and Scholarships Are Available?

Postgraduate teaching bursaries and scholarships are only available for the STEM subjects listed below. You cannot receive both a teaching bursary and a scholarship.

To be eligible for a bursary, you will need at least one of the following:

• a bachelor’s degree class 2:2 (honours) or higher
• a master’s degree
• a PhD

You also have to meet the bursary scheme’s individual terms and conditions. You can find out more about your eligibility for teaching bursaries on gov.uk.

Scholarships of £26,000 are available to teach chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics. Scholarships are usually available to applicants with a 1st, 2:1, Master’s or PhD, and in exceptional circumstances they may be awarded to a graduate with a 2:2 and significant relevant experience.

Scholarships also come with a package of additional benefits from the appropriate professional body. Scholarship applicants should apply to the relevant professional body which are listed below:

• The Royal Society of Chemistry
• BCS Chartered Institute of IT
• The Institute of Mathematics 
• The Institute of Physics 

Undergraduate Bursaries

Undergraduates (students who do not yet have a degree) may be eligible for a bursary of £9,000 if:

• they’re studying a qualified teacher status (QTS) course in secondary mathematics or physics
• they’re studying an opt-in QTS course in secondary undergraduate mathematics, physics, computing or languages
• their course starts in the academic year 2022 to 2023

They will receive the bursary in the final year of their course.

If an eligible trainee is on a 4-year undergraduate course that leads to QTS and a Master’s degree, they will receive a £9,000 bursary in both the third and fourth years of their course.

Troops to Teachers 

Former military personnel maybe eligible for Troops to Teachers tax free bursary of £40,000. Undergraduate veterans will need to have:

• left full time employment with the British Army, Royal Air Force or Royal Navy
• left employment with no more than 5 years before the start of their course
• Individuals will need to enrol on an eligible QTS course in secondary biology, physics, chemistry, computing, maths or languages

Veteran teacher trainees will receive £20,000 in each of the last 2 years of their course, in equal monthly instalments.

Sources:

Funding: initial teacher training (ITT), academic year 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Get Into Teaching

Our Inspiration Sparkers campaign aims to help recruit more Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subject teachers and inspire Kent’s future generations into STEM-based careers. We hope the campaign will help attract more attention to the teacher recruitment campaign and promote Kent as an inspiring place for the next generation of STEM teachers. And, who knows, those teachers could spark inspiration in future world-changing scientists, engineers and tech superstars!