Teacher training funding

Funding for teacher training students

We have tried to cover as much information as possible here, but eligibility rules for funding can be complex.

If you want to speak to a member of the Money Advice Team please do get in touch with us

On this page we have information on:

• The tuition fees for your full-time PGCE/PGDE course
• Any financial support which might be available from the government
• Grants for childcare and your dependants
• How and when to apply for student finance
• How to repay your loans
• Department for Education bursaries and incentives

The financial support you might be eligible to receive varies depending on where in the UK you normally live and your individual circumstances.

Please note
If you already have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) you will not normally be eligible for funding.

Although PGCE/PGDE courses are postgraduate qualifications, they are actually funded in the same way as undergraduate courses with money for both tuition fees and living costs plus additional incentives from the government to train teaching in certain areas.

Tuition fees

As a PGCE/PGDE student, you will be charged a tuition fee for your course. For applicants to LJMU, Information regarding tuition fee charges can be found on the specific course information. Once you've found a course that you’re interested in, you'll find all the information about fees and funding on the course information page.

If you need to check the information or are unsure of any aspect of your tuition fees, please contact Registry Services.

Tuition fee loans

Eligible students will be able to borrow the full cost of your tuition fee from the government in the form of a tuition fee loan (subject to eligibility). This loan will be paid to LJMU in instalments once we have confirmed you have started your course.

Money for your maintenance

In addition to a tuition fee loan, eligible students can also access money for living costs. The amount you will receive depends on where in the UK you normally live and the household income of your family.

This maintenance funding is paid to you in three large instalments over the year so it is up to you to draw up a budget to manage this money.

Each website has a calculator that you can input your income and receive an estimate of how much you will receive per year.

For more information on how much you will receive and how to apply click on the relevant link below:

• Apply as an English or EU applicant
• Apply as a Welsh applicant
• Apply as a Northern Irish applicant
• Apply as a Scottish applicant

Grants for your dependants

UK students with dependants can also apply for additional financial support such as Adult Dependants’ Grant, Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance.

• Adult Dependants’ Grant – This is a means-tested grant of up to £3,438 a year if you have to care for an adult dependant who is not your grown-up child, while studying (subject to eligibility)
• Childcare Grant – This grant is to help you if you have children that you need to pay childcare for, you can apply for means-tested support to help with the cost of this. Childcare Grants for academic year 2024/25 are up to a maximum of £193.62 per week for one child only or up to £331.95 per week for two or more children (subject to eligibility)
• Parents’ Learning Allowance – This is a means-tested grant of up to £1,963 a year if you have children who are wholly or mainly financially dependant on you

Repaying your loans

Any loans you take out for tuition fees or living costs will be added together into one loan account. You do not have to start repaying your loans until you have completed your course and are earning over the specified threshold. This is currently £25,000 per year if you are from England. If you are from Wales it is £27,295 and for Northern Ireland students it is £22,015.

Once you are earning over the threshold you will repay at a rate of 9% of anything above the threshold. The list below gives you an indicator of how much your monthly repayments will be based on a student from England: 

• £25,000: 0
• £30,000: £37.50
• £35,000: £75.00
• £40,000: £112.50
• £50,000: £187.50
• £60,000: £450.00

If you are from England any money you still owe after 40 years (30 years in Wales, 25 years in Northern Ireland) is written off. This means you won’t need to continue repaying the loan.

For more information see the Student Loans Company website.

How and when to apply for your funding

You should apply for your funding as early as possible. You do not need to have a confirmed place to submit an application for funding. The application cycle for funding generally opens around the February or March before your course starts in the September. Don’t worry about changing your mind about the course or university, as once you have submitted your application you can manage it online and even cancel it if you want to.

In order to be sure of getting your money for the start of term, you should apply by the end of May. You can apply after this but you are not guaranteed the payment at the start of term if you apply later.

Additional bursaries and incentives from the Department for Education

A range of incentives is available for trainee teachers and these vary depending on your degree classification for your undergraduate course and the subject you are training to teach in. These incentives change each year to reflect demand and in response to workforce planning.

We would advise you to check the Government website – Get Into Teaching for up-to-date information and eligibility criteria. This website also has information about events, a helpline and lots of other information regarding a career in the teaching profession.