FE teacher training funding
No matter what stage of your life you’re at, changing careers can cause financial worry. Many people have concerns about how they will pay for their qualification or support themselves and their families while they’re training to be a teacher. The good news is that there are plenty of generous FE teaching funding options available, including tax-free bursaries and opportunities to earn while you train. On this page, you’ll find information about the different training routes and types of financial support available to help you get your new FE teaching career off the ground.
What qualifications do I need to become an FE teacher?
To become a qualified Further Education teacher, you’ll need:
- Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) in maths and English.
- A Level 5 teaching qualification or Further Education teaching apprenticeship.
If you don’t have a level 2 in maths and English, your employer may provide support to help you gain these qualifications on the job or in your own time.
Funding options: Student finance and bursaries
There are two main train-to-teach funding routes available, these are:
Apply for a tax-free bursary
If you want to teach a high-demand subject like maths, computing, or engineering, you may be eligible for a tax-free bursary of up to £31,000 to help cover your costs while you’re training.
Learn more about the eligibility criteria.
Apply for student finance, loans, and grants
If you’re not eligible for a bursary, you may be able to apply for student finance for teaching instead. Tuition fee loans and maintenance loans are designed to provide financial support while you complete an approved teacher training course. You won’t need to pay the loan back until you’ve found a job and started earning. Even if you’ve had a student loan in the past, you should still be eligible for student finance for an FE teaching qualification.
Learn more about eligibility and apply.
Get a tax-free bursary of up to £31,000
An FE teaching bursary is a type of tax-free funding designed to help cover your living costs and study expenses while you’re training to become an FE teacher. Unlike a loan, a bursary does not need to be repaid.
Not everyone is eligible for a bursary. You may be eligible if you want to teach a high-priority subject, like one of the following:
- Maths
- English (capped at 100 places)
- Science, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
- Engineering or Manufacturing
- Computing
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
You can learn more about bursaries and the full eligibility criteria in the FE ITE bursary funding manual, 2025 to 2026.
Subjects (academic year 2025 to 2026) | Bursary |
|---|---|
Computing | £31,000 |
Engineering or manufacturing | £31,000 |
Mathematics | £31,000 |
Science, including biology, chemistry, or physics | £31,000 |
English (capped at 100 places) | £10,000 |
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) | £15,000 |
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Train on the job: Employer-funded qualifications
When you train on the job, you get paid to teach and start earning a salary from day one. Your employer will usually pay for all or part of your college teaching qualifications too.
Most employers will expect you to complete your qualification within two years and achieve a Level 5 or above.
It usually states in the job description whether on-the-job training is available. If it’s unclear, it’s always worth asking.
The Taking Teaching Further (TTF) programme is a government initiative specifically for experienced industry professionals. It funds your teaching qualification (via a payment to your FE employer) and provides early career support.
Find out more about Taking Teaching Further.