Guidance

Initial teacher training bursaries funding manual: 2025 to 2026 academic year

Updated 28 November 2024

Applies to England

Training bursary

A training bursary is a tax-free financial incentive to attract high-quality graduates into the teaching profession. The bursary amount varies according to the subject they train to teach.

The training bursary award and eligibility section includes:

• an overview of the financial incentives
• eligibility criteria for trainees

Training bursaries are awarded to trainees based on the classification of their first degree, but are also available to trainees who hold other relevant academic qualifications.

Scholarships

We work with professional bodies to provide a limited number of scholarships.

Trainees cannot receive both the scholarship and training bursary. Trainees whose scholarship application is unsuccessful may be eligible for a training bursary.

Bursary award and eligibility

The bursary rates for courses starting in the 2025 to 2026 academic year are set out in the Eligible ITT subjects section.

Bursary awards are fixed for the duration of the trainee’s ITT programme and are not affected by the length of training.

We will publish further information regarding future bursaries at the appropriate time. You must not make assumptions about the value or scope of bursary awards in future years based on the information provided in this document.

Eligibility

The bursary awarded is dependent on:

• the subject a trainee trains to teach, not the subject of their degree or academic qualification
• the grade of their highest academic qualification

Example If a trainee with a first class degree in biology trains to teach physics, they will be eligible for a £29,000 physics bursary. If they train to teach biology, they will be eligible for a £26,000 biology bursary.

This must not change your selection or recruitment process, including making judgements about the suitability of an applicant’s degree and other subject knowledge for the subject in which they will train.

Holding one of the following UK qualifications may mean a trainee is eligible for a bursary:

• a first class, upper second class or lower second class undergraduate honours degree
• a master’s degree
• a doctoral degree
• a medical master’s degree (distinction)
• an aegrotat (unclassified) honours degree

There is no bursary available for awards below a lower second class undergraduate honours degree.

Further information about the assessment of UK academic, professional or overseas qualifications is provided in Annex B and Annex C.

Eligible ITT subjects

Scholarships and training bursaries are available for the following subjects. This is only applicable for postgraduate ITT.

Subject	Scholarship	Bursary
Chemistry	£31,000	£29,000
Computing	£31,000	£29,000
Mathematics	£31,000	£29,000
Physics	£31,000	£29,000
Languages (French, German and Spanish only)	£28,000	£26,000
Languages (all other languages, including ancient languages)	-	£26,000
Biology	-	£26,000
Design and technology (including engineering and food technology)	-	£26,000
Geography	-	£26,000
Art and design	-	£10,000
Music	-	£10,000
Religious education	-	£10,000
English	-	£ 5,000

Trainees cannot receive both a scholarship and training bursary.

A full breakdown of eligible subjects can be found in Annex A.

No other ITT courses will attract a bursary, regardless of a trainee’s degree class.

Undergraduate bursary

A training bursary of £9,000 for final year undergraduates is available for trainees on secondary mathematics and physics courses that lead to qualified teacher status (QTS).

The bursary is:

• available to undergraduate trainees who enrol on a QTS course beginning in the 2025 to 2026 academic year
• payable in the final year of their course

The same £9,000 training bursary is available to trainees on an opt-in undergraduate secondary mathematics, physics, computing or languages (including ancient languages) course that leads to QTS.

Trainees who are on an undergraduate course that leads to the award of QTS and a master’s degree will receive a £9,000 bursary in both the third and fourth year of their course. This means that the trainee will have received a total of £18,000 by the point of completion.

Undergraduate veteran teaching bursary

A training bursary worth £40,000 is available for undergraduate veterans who have left full-time employment from the:

• British Army
• Royal Air Force
• Royal Navy

They must have left employment no more than 5 years before the start of their course.

The bursary is available to undergraduate trainees who enrol on an eligible ITT course that leads to QTS in secondary biology, chemistry, computing, languages (including ancient languages), mathematics or physics beginning in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

Trainees will receive £20,000 in each of the last 2 years of their course, in equal monthly instalments. The ITT provider should confirm the actual payment schedule with the trainee.

Trainees cannot receive an undergraduate veteran teaching bursary and an undergraduate bursary.

Eligibility for bursaries

For a trainee to be eligible to receive a bursary, you must make sure that, from the first day of training, they meet and continue to meet the criteria set out below.

To be eligible, a trainee must:

• be eligible to receive UK student support (not applicable to languages and physics)
• hold a UK first degree or equivalent
• be taking a qualifying postgraduate or undergraduate ITT course in England
• be notified in writing by their ITT provider of their eligibility for the course
• comply with the terms and conditions of the bursary scheme
• not be in possession of, or eligible for, QTS
• not be undertaking paid teaching work which contributes to their training when in receipt of the bursary
• not be simultaneously undertaking any other ITT course, training scheme or programme that leads to QTS

These points should be read in conjunction with the corresponding paragraphs that follow, which give further guidance.

Eligibility for UK student support 

In languages and physics, trainees starting courses in the 2025 to 2026 academic year will not need to be eligible for student finance to be eligible for a postgraduate bursary or scholarship. This applies to all trainees. For all other subjects and routes, trainees are only eligible for a bursary or scholarship if they are entitled to support under the student finance criteria.

To receive a bursary for all other subjects, the trainee must meet one or more of the definitions for being an ‘eligible’ student to receive grants and loans towards tuition fees or living costs, as set out in the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 (part 2 – eligible students). For further information, refer to Student finance eligibility.

European Union (EU) nationals resident in the UK before 1 January 2021, and who qualify for pre-settled status or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, will continue to be eligible for home fee status and student financial support on a similar basis to domestic students, subject to meeting the usual residence requirements. For further information on those requirements, contact Student Finance England.

Trainees from the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey may not meet one of these definitions. However, they may still be eligible for support from their respective home education departments and, where this is the case, they will still be eligible for a bursary on the basis that they meet all other criteria.

International students can contact the UK Council for International Student Affairs for advice on student support and other issues regarding studying in the UK.

UK first degree

You should use the trainee’s highest academic qualification to determine eligibility for a bursary. You should be confident that a trainee’s academic qualification has the same level of breadth and depth that would be expected of a UK first degree with at least second class honours.

This requirement does not apply to undergraduate bursaries.

Qualifying ITT course in England

To be eligible to receive a bursary, the trainee must be recruited to a qualifying postgraduate or undergraduate ITT course in England.

A qualifying course must:

• lead, upon successful completion, to a recommendation to us for the award of QTS
• be delivered by an institution accredited by us as an ITT provider

For further information, email becomingateacher@digital.education.gov.uk. ITT providers will only attract bursary funding for trainees in the subjects identified in Annex A: list of subjects eligible for a bursary.

Courses that enable a trainee to be recommended for the award of qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS), or solely an academic award such as a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) without QTS, are not eligible for training bursary or scholarship funding.

Combination courses

The course content must be 50% or more of the bursary subject awarded.

Example

A course with content of 50% or more in mathematics and the remainder in physical education (PE) would receive the mathematics bursary.

A course with content of more than 50% PE would not be eligible for a bursary, as there is no bursary award for this subject.

Courses with equal content of 2 subjects will be awarded the bursary for the subject that attracts the highest bursary rate.

Example

A course with content of 50% physics and 50% biology would be awarded the higher physics bursary.

A course with content of 50% languages and 50% history would be awarded a languages bursary, even though there is no bursary award for history.

Determination and notification of eligibility

You must determine whether a trainee is eligible to receive a bursary and inform them in writing if this is the case. More information on bursary eligibility is available in the Admissions section.

You should make sure that trainees are informed of whether they are eligible for a bursary in good time before the start of their ITT course, and of the relevant payment schedule. An individual is only eligible for a bursary when this is confirmed in writing by their ITT provider. We cannot provide written confirmation to trainees.

Trainees who need to apply for a student visa can use notification that they are eligible to receive a bursary as evidence they have the money to support themselves for their visa application. You should ensure that trainees are aware that they will need to have sufficient funds to support themselves when they first start their course until the first bursary payment is made.

You should confirm that the trainee will receive official financial sponsorship when completing their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Ensure that your written confirmation to these trainees includes the information outlined in the Financial evidence for student and child student visa applicants guidance under ‘Evidence you need to provide’.

Providers may, with permission from the candidate, use the bursary to offset a candidate’s tuition fees, either partly or in full.

Trainee requirements

We expect that trainees who accept a place with you and are eligible to receive a bursary will:

• inform you of any changes in their bank account details and address
• promptly inform you if they intend to withdraw from the course
• sign a declaration of understanding with you to the effect that they expect to seek a teaching post in England on successful completion of their course

You should also make it clear how you intend to pay the trainee.

Eligibility for QTS 

Individuals who hold QTS on the first day of their ITT course are not eligible for a bursary. Separate continuing professional development (CPD) may be appropriate for those who already hold QTS.

QTS is a legal requirement to teach in certain English schools, and considered desirable for teachers in the majority of schools in England.

There are different routes depending on an applicant’s prior experience and qualifications.

Some teachers who are trained and recognised overseas may be able to apply for QTS without further assessment or training. More details of the recognition service can be found on the Fairer approach to awarding QTS to overseas teachers page.

Individuals can check their eligibility to apply for QTS through the recognition service by using our online eligibility checker. If the checker suggests an applicant is eligible to apply for QTS, they should be advised to apply for QTS through the recognition service.

If an applicant does not believe they are eligible for QTS through the service, they must satisfy the provider that they do not meet at least one of the eligibility criteria listed, before a grant assessment can be continued.

Any further queries can be directed to qts.enquiries@education.gov.uk.

Teachers who do not meet the criteria for the recognition service will need to complete an ITT course or apply for assessment-only QTS to demonstrate they meet the standards for QTS.

Individuals who hold QTLS status and are members of the Society for Education and Training (SET) are legally recognised as ‘qualified teachers’ for the purpose of employment in maintained schools in England. They must continue to maintain their SET membership for this legal equivalence to QTS to be valid. Their status can be checked on SET’s professional status register.

They will still be able to apply for an ITT place and receive a bursary. To receive a bursary, they must meet all the criteria specified in the Eligibility for bursaries section.

Individuals who hold QTLS status and are members of the Society for Education and Training (SET) are legally recognised as ‘qualified teachers’ for the purpose of employment in maintained schools in England. They must continue to maintain their SET membership for this legal equivalence to QTS to be valid. Their status can be checked on SET’s professional status register.

They will still be able to apply for an ITT place and receive a bursary. To receive a bursary, they must meet all the criteria specified in the Eligibility for training bursaries section.

Individuals who hold early years teacher status (EYTS) are also still able to apply for an ITT place and, in turn, receive a bursary. However, they must meet all the criteria specified in the Eligibility for bursaries section to be eligible.

Paid teaching work

Trainees receiving bursary payments must not receive a salary or other payment for any type of teaching work which contributes to their training while undertaking their ITT course. 

Therefore, if the trainee’s employment is unrelated to the ITT course and will not be used as part of the trainee’s assessment – for example, against the teachers’ standards – then the trainee may receive a salary for this work alongside their bursary payments.

Trainees are deemed to be employed as a teacher if they are employed under a contract of employment or services with one or more local authority, governing body or institution to:

• be the headteacher or principal of one or more schools or institutions
• carry out one or more of a range of specified activities at one or more schools or institutions

This definition of a teacher can include people employed by a local authority to teach as a supply teacher in schools maintained by that authority, but does not include people employed by private teacher supply agencies or private tutors.

The definition of a teacher includes ‘unqualified’ teachers who meet one or more of the descriptions set out in paragraphs 2 and 4 to 9 of schedule 2 in the Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012.

Under this definition, teachers are permitted to carry out ‘specified activity’, including:

• delivering lessons
• assessing the development, progress and attainment of pupils

You should refer to these regulations for the full definition of ‘specified activity’.

Undertaking other training leading to QTS

To be eligible for a training bursary, trainees must not simultaneously undertake any other:

• ITT course
• training schemes or programmes leading to QTS

Admissions

You must make sure that those responsible for making decisions on bursary eligibility are familiar with or have access to guidance on the range of qualifications generally regarded as equivalent to a first degree in the UK. These may include:

• overseas qualifications
• professional or vocational qualifications
• qualifications no longer available but held by mature applicants

You should be aware of the range of degrees awarded by UK institutions. In all cases, you are responsible for deciding whether an individual’s highest relevant academic qualification meets the bursary eligibility criteria. This includes determining whether a particular qualification demonstrates the breadth and type of academic engagement that would be expected from a bachelor’s degree with honours, a master’s degree or a doctoral degree.

You must keep an audit trail of how you assess equivalency. In determining equivalency, you may:

• consult internal colleagues, such as those in the relevant subject department
• consult external organisations, such as the awarding body of the equivalent qualification
• conduct a review of the course content or transcripts of the other qualification

We reserve the right to request this information for assurance purposes and to ensure the robustness of your processes.

Where ITT providers lack the institutional experience to assess the validity of academic qualifications, they should refer to the UK Quality Code for Higher Education.

Teaching outside of England after the award of QTS

ITT providers should seek assurances from trainees in receipt of a bursary that they intend to seek a teaching post in England on successful completion of their course.

We will collect data on trainees who are not domiciled in England and are accessing bursaries. We reserve the right to request further information from ITT providers with high levels of trainees who are domiciled outside of England.

Scholarship eligibility

The relevant professional body will assess the applicant’s eligibility and inform them if they have been recommended for the scholarship. They should use their discretion when considering degree classification and subject knowledge. Further details can be found on the websites of the relevant organisations, which are:

• Chemistry: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Computing: BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT
• Mathematics: Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
• Physics: Institute of Physics
• French, German and Spanish: British Council

The applicant must secure an ITT place on a tuition fee-based programme (provider-led or School Direct) in one of the following courses by 1 September 2025 for the scholarship award to be valid:

• chemistry
• computing
• mathematics
• physics
• French
• German
• Spanish

An applicant will lose their scholarship entitlement if they are unable to secure a place on an eligible course by this date.

It is not necessary for applicants to secure an eligible ITT place before applying for a scholarship. They may apply for the scholarship at any time before applying for or starting an ITT place.

Trainees are responsible for informing their ITT provider (and providing evidence) that they have been recommended for a scholarship. You must make sure that each trainee in receipt of a scholarship is identified appropriately within the register trainee teachers service (Register).

You remain responsible for selecting trainees for courses regardless of their recommendation for a scholarship. Recommendation for a scholarship does not override or take priority over the criteria as set out in the Eligibility for bursaries section. Trainees must meet all the eligibility criteria to receive the scholarship funding.

Training bursary and scholarship payments

You are responsible for the management and administration of bursary payments, including:

• assessment of eligibility
• awarding the bursary to the trainee
• drawing up terms and conditions relating to receipt of the bursary

If a trainee is found to be ineligible for the bursary, we will recover any bursary payments made to you. The recovery of any bursary overpayments will then be an internal matter between you and the trainee.

If you pay the Student Loans Company (SLC) to administer the bursary, you remain responsible and accountable for the management of this funding.

Scholarship payments will be made via the standard training bursary funding process.

You should make bursary and scholarship payments to trainees throughout the academic year, as detailed in Annex D: value and timing of training bursary and scholarship payments.

These payments are not taxable. However, as with student maintenance loans, they may be treated as capital income for the purposes of assessing income for trainees in receipt of state benefits. We advise you to refer trainees to GOV.UK to check their eligibility for state benefits.

Payment eligibility

Trainees will be entitled to receive the first bursary payment if they are actively engaged in the ITT programme on the first day of the month following their start date.

Example

A trainee commencing their course in September 2025 will be entitled to their first payment if they are actively engaged in the programme on 1 October 2025. They will be entitled to the second payment if they are on the programme on 1 November 2025, and so on. This is regardless of the provider’s individual payment date.

If a trainee completes their course before the end of the academic year, they may receive the full balance of the bursary in the month they complete the course.

Bursary funding must not be paid:

• as part of maternity or paternity pay arrangements
• during a period of unauthorised absence

In the event that a trainee is absent through sickness, you may only make one further payment following the first day of absence. After this, the absence should be treated as a period of deferral and payments must stop with immediate effect.

Example

A trainee’s first day of sickness absence is 15 November 2025. The provider may make one further payment as the trainee is still considered active on 1 December 2025, but no further payments must be made beyond this until the trainee returns to the course.

If the trainee then returns on 15 February 2026, they will next be entitled to a bursary payment if they are still active on 1 March 2026. The next payment must not include the payments that the trainee missed by being absent on 1 January and 1 February.

These principles also apply to trainees who start their postgraduate or undergraduate courses later in the academic year. For example, if a trainee commences their course in January 2026, they will be entitled to their first payment if they are actively engaged in the programme on 1 February 2026.

Payments must not start before the trainee commences the course.

You must maintain an audit trail of all payments made to trainees and any decisions about payment structures. We maintain the right to request this information at any time for assurance purposes.

Withdrawals and deferrals

A withdrawal is when a trainee who has started a course informs their provider they no longer wish to continue.

A deferral is when a trainee who has started a course agrees with their provider for their course to be paused temporarily and confirms that they intend to return.

Eligible trainees who withdraw or defer from a course will be entitled to payment for each month up to and including the month in which they formally withdraw.

Example

If a trainee starts their programme in September 2025 and withdraws or defers in January 2026, they will be entitled to 4 payments in total, as they were engaged in the course on:

• 1 October 2025
• 1 November 2025
• 1 December 2025
• 1 January 2026

Withdrawal or deferral information should reflect the dates given to Student Finance England for student support purposes.

In the event of withdrawal or deferral, you must:

• suspend all bursary payments to the trainee immediately
• make sure that their records are updated in Register, detailing the formal withdrawal date

We will recover any overpayments made to you after the trainee has withdrawn or deferred and will not reimburse you for any payments made to trainees in error.  The recovery of any bursary overpayments will then be an internal matter between you and the trainee.

Returning trainees

Returning trainees who defer and then re-join their original course, or take any advanced standing or credit to a new ITT course, will only be eligible to receive the remaining bursary award up to the value available in the year that started their original course. A bespoke payment schedule may be agreed for the remaining amount between you and the trainee.

Where the length of the course is increased, the bursary instalments can be amended to reflect the longer timeframe. The total bursary amount is fixed, however, and cannot be increased.

If you require bursary funding to be added to your payment profile to accommodate trainees who recommence in the 2025 to 2026 academic year, you must contact the ITT funding team with the relevant trainee and funding details upon their return.

If a trainee leaves one ITT course and joins a new one with no transfer of standing or credit from their previous course, and they are being charged a new tuition fee, this is viewed as a new route to QTS. They will be entitled to receive a new bursary, subject to the eligibility criteria and rates set out in this guidance.

If the trainee has received their full bursary entitlement during a previous ITT programme, this may impact their eligibility to receive bursary funding while completing a new programme in the 2025 to 2026 academic year. Email the funding team at ITT.Funding@education.gov.uk for further guidance.

Monitoring, assurance and data requirements

Monitoring and assurance

We have a responsibility to make sure that public funds and assets generated from applicable ITT places are properly managed in line with the grant funding agreements (GFAs) held by ITT providers.

You will be required to demonstrate that you have administered all bursary funding in accordance with your GFA, including:

• selecting and recruiting the highest-quality candidates to programmes of ITT
• designing and delivering high-quality programmes of ITT
• rigorously assessing trainees against all of the relevant standards for QTS, and only supporting the recommendation of those trainees deemed to have met them
• demonstrating propriety and adequate controls in your financial management and compliance with relevant financial reporting or governance requirements
• complying with our data requirements and requests, as stipulated in all our guidance
• passing on 100% of the bursary funding issued to you under your grant funding agreement to the trainee

You must hold full records for all trainees in receipt of bursaries, including evidence of trainees’ academic qualifications achieved prior to starting their ITT course.

Trainees must hold the highest eligible qualification on which their assessment was based, prior to starting the course. We reserve the right to request this evidence from you at any point during the academic year, for the purpose of quality monitoring and funding assurance. This may include copies of original documentation provided by trainees, including qualification certificates.

We also expect to see evidence of:

• payments you have made to trainees
• evidence of trainees having attended 120 days’ training
• confirmation of any dates you have made reference to

It is advisable to keep records for a minimum of 3 years after each cohort has finished their course.

We will use annual and interim census data collections and the Annex G process to seek rigorous assurance of all bursary payments. Your accounting officer must verify these data sets.

We will send you details of the Annex G process after the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

We will review the allocated bursary funding that you receive and reconcile this amount with the trainee records submitted at each census point. Funding will be adjusted at these points to meet the actual amount required. If you have received more funding than required, we will recover the excess by invoicing you or offsetting this amount against any future payments.

You must ensure that all trainee records in Register are complete. This includes amending the records of trainees who:

• withdraw or defer from their ITT programme
• start later in the 2025 to 2026 academic year
• return from earlier academic years

We reserve the right to delay or withhold payments if data is inaccurate or incomplete.

We will carry out a reconciliation exercise between the bursaries allocated and the actual trainee records as confirmed in Register. In the event of any variances, we reserve the right to ask you for explanations of the variances and to seek further information. We will not reimburse you for any bursaries paid to ineligible trainees.

You will be asked to complete an Annex G in accordance with published guidance, containing income, expenditure and trainee data. This has to be independently audited and countersigned by the accounting officer. See Annex F: assurance and audit process for further guidance.

We will use this information to reconcile the funding that you have received with your declared expenditure, taking into account the effect of withdrawn and deferred trainees. Prior to the Annex G, we will request an interim return to provide an indicative bursary expenditure figure, to allow us to monitor expenditure in year.

We will write to you regarding the interim indicative return and issue more detailed guidance regarding the Annex G at the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year, so you are able to comply with your GFA requirements.

Failure to fully comply with monitoring and assurance requirements may result in non-compliance, which could lead to the withdrawal of your accreditation.

Data requirements and reporting

You must submit relevant data to us, including:

• the data required to complete the ITT census return in October 2025
• applications
• recruitment and employment outcomes

Failure to comply with requests for data may result in non-compliance, which could lead to the withdrawal of your accreditation.

Where lead partners are responsible for collecting any data, you must ensure that your partnership agreement confirms the arrangements for sharing this data so that it can be submitted to us.

You are required to submit trainee-level data.

Full details of how to submit trainee level data are available in Register. 

If you have any queries about the submission of trainee-level data, email  becomingateacher@digital.education.gov.uk.

Annex A: list of subjects eligible for a bursary

We will provide bursaries for the following ITT programmes:

• art and design
• biology
• chemistry
• computing
• design and technology
• English
• geography
• languages (including ancient languages)
• mathematics
• music
• physics
• religious education

Funding will not be provided for any subjects that are not included in this list.

Annex B: assessing UK academic qualifications

Honours and ordinary bachelor’s degrees

The Higher Education Credit Framework for England (HECF) states that someone who holds a bachelor’s degree with honours will have developed an understanding of a complex body of knowledge, some of it at the current boundaries of an academic discipline.

In addition, holders of this award will be able to evaluate evidence, arguments and assumptions to reach sound judgements and communicate them effectively.

Honours degree holders will usually have completed an independent dissertation or thesis relating to the subject in which they are specialising and will have considerably fewer contact hours than an ordinary degree. The length of study for a full-time bachelor’s degree with honours is usually 3 years, while part-time courses are usually longer. Honours degrees require 360 credits for completion.

Ordinary bachelor’s degrees are largely a taught degree programme with less specialisation or independent study involved. The outcome can sometimes be a licence to train in a particular subject, such as accounting. A trainee may sometimes be transferred from an honours programme onto an ordinary degree programme if they have not achieved the required grades throughout the programme to graduate with honours.

Open degrees from the Open University awarded without honours would fall into this category and would not be eligible for bursaries in their own right. Trainees may be able to study a further 60-credit module to convert these degrees to honours, but this may not necessarily uplift the trainee’s final classification to the level necessary for bursary eligibility. Trainees in this position are advised to contact the Open University for advice.

List of eligible academic qualifications

You can determine whether a trainee may be eligible for a bursary based on their highest academic qualification. This could be:

• a first class, upper second class or lower second class undergraduate honours degree
• a master’s degree
• a doctoral degree, not including honorary doctorates
• a medical master’s degree (distinction)
• an aegrotat (unclassified) honours degree

Trainees are not eligible for a bursary if:

• they have an ordinary degree, aegrotat ordinary degree, postgraduate certificate (PGCert) or diploma (PGDip) only
• their highest academic qualification is a third class honours degree
• they do not hold a degree

The master of arts status conferred on application by the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford does not result in its holders being eligible for a bursary.

If a trainee is ineligible for a bursary award but feels that there are extenuating circumstances that impacted their final result, this must be raised with the awarding body of the qualification. ITT providers must not apply any discretion in these cases.

If the outcome of a qualification – for example, a master’s or doctoral degree – is not yet known, bursary eligibility must be determined by the highest relevant academic award on the date the training course started. If the trainee is subsequently awarded a higher qualification, their bursary eligibility may be reassessed, provided the award of this qualification was made on or before the date the course started. Email ITT.funding@education.gov.uk for further guidance in these circumstances.

Medical first degrees

First degrees in medicine, which are qualifying awards in professional terms, are not classified. Although usually titled ‘bachelor’, they are at level 7 (master’s level) on the HECF. However, this only applies to degrees that are 5 years in length.

You may consider the following as equivalent to a lower second class honours degree or above:

• 5-year degrees in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and surgery
• medical bachelor’s degrees, often called bachelor of medical science (BMedSci), which may be awarded as exit awards to students who satisfy the criteria specified but fail to meet the criteria for progression to the fourth or fifth year of the qualifying medical degree

A number of award titles may be used in both categories of award. We advise you to check individual cases with the relevant awarding bodies before making a decision about awarding bursaries.

Professional and vocational qualifications

Providers will need to make sure that those responsible for decisions on entry understand or have access to advice on the range of professional and vocational qualifications generally regarded as equivalent to a first class, upper second class or lower second class undergraduate honours degree or above.  

It is for you to decide whether a candidate’s qualification meets this criterion, and whether it demonstrates the breadth and type of academic engagement that would be expected from first degree study. Partnerships that do not include degree-awarding bodies may wish to seek advice from those that do.

Annex C: assessing overseas qualifications

Overseas degree equivalency

When selecting trainees with overseas degrees, you should make sure their qualification complies with the ITT criteria. A statement of comparability can be obtained from European National Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK ENIC), which will confirm whether or not it is comparable to a British bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree.

However, the statement of comparability cannot be used to establish the classification of the trainee’s degree, you must make a professional assessment to determine eligibility.

Candidates can access support from the Get into Teaching service, including an initial verbal check to advise candidates on what their qualifications are equivalent to prior to applying to ITT. This is for guidance only. The final decision on eligibility still lies with you before the start of their ITT.

You must hold full records of all trainees in receipt of bursaries, including any qualification or training they referenced in their application which was achieved before starting their ITT.

Equivalent grading

Where the trainee’s first degree can be compared to either a British bachelor’s degree or a British bachelor’s degree with honours, but there is no actual grading of the degree available, ITT providers may award a bursary if you are satisfied the degree is of the same depth and breadth as the bursary award would indicate.

Decisions on eligibility must be based solely on the content of the qualification itself and must not include any unrelated additional qualifications or experience.

We reserve the right to request these details from you at any point during the academic year for the purpose of monitoring the robustness of your processes.

This may include:

• copies of original documentation provided by trainees, including qualification certificates
• correspondence related to the decision-making process – for example, advice from internal colleagues or external organisations such as awarding bodies

Many overseas qualifications sit either above or below British bachelor’s or British bachelor’s degree with honours. ITT providers may wish to request a statement of comparability from UK ENIC to verify the actual degree itself before making any judgement about bursary eligibility.

If an overseas qualification is not equivalent to at least a second class honours degree, it will be considered equivalent to an ordinary or third class degree.

Unless you consider, in your own assessment, that the degree should be equivalent to at least a second class honours degree, and you are able to provide evidence that supports your assessment, you should not award a bursary.

Equivalent master’s and doctoral degrees

Trainees who hold overseas master’s and doctoral degrees may be assessed for eligibility. ITT providers should obtain a statement of comparability from UK ENIC, if necessary.

Where a trainee’s degree is comparable to a British master’s or doctorate level, these degrees should be treated as equivalent, and the appropriate bursary should be awarded for eligible ITT subjects.

You should use your professional judgement in determining any bursary awards for overseas master’s or doctoral degrees that are not equivalent to a UK master’s or doctoral degree.

In exceptional cases, trainees who hold overseas bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees that all sit below British bachelor’s honours degree standard may be awarded a bursary if the ITT provider is able to provide a strong case backed up by a full audit trail for bursary eligibility.

Annex D: value and timing of training bursary or scholarship payments

Payments for full-time courses

Bursary or scholarship awards should be paid 10 equal monthly instalments over the duration of the course.

Bursary award	Value of monthly instalments (for a 10-month payment structure)
£5,000	£500
£10,000	£1,000
£26,000	£2,600
£28,000	£2,800
£29,000	£2,900
£31,000	£3,100

Payments for part-time or modular courses

Trainees on part-time or modular courses may agree a flexible monthly payment plan that covers the duration of the part-time programme. You must, however, make sure that the bursary payments reflect the proportion of the course the trainee has completed at any point.

As part-time courses will span more than one academic year, you may award the bursary beyond the 2025 to 2026 academic year. You are reminded that any bursary payments made after 31 July of the academic year will be included as expenditure for the following academic year – for example, 2026 to 2027.

Annex E: training bursary funding cycle

These are the key dates in the bursary funding cycle.

June to July 2025

In your first year of delivery, you will be contacted to submit your GFA to us. If other documents, such as letters of variation, are required, we will contact individual ITT providers separately.

August 2025

Apply acceptance data is incorporated into the bursary model. This allows us to make interim payments to you from September to November 2025. 

September to November 2025

Payments will be made on or around the third working day of each month. The first 3 payments will be made, if you have a GFA in place, based on your Apply acceptance data.

Payment profiles are available in Register during this period.

November 2025

Your Register data is incorporated into the bursary model to confirm payments from December 2025.

This is based on the trainee registration returns submitted through Register on or before the census closure date.

December 2025 to January 2026

These payments will be made, if you have a GFA in place, based on your data in Register.

Bursary summaries and payment profiles are available in Register.

February to April 2026

Your data in Register will be updated in the bursary model in February 2026 to include any changes that you have submitted through Register in January 2026.

These payments will be made, if you have a GFA in place, based on your data in Register.

Bursary summaries and payment profiles are available in Register.

May to July 2026

Your data in Register will be updated in the bursary model in May 2026 to include any changes that you have submitted through Register, up to April 2026.

These payments will be made, if you have a GFA in place, based on your data in Register.

Bursary summaries and payment profiles are available in Register.

Annex F: assurance and audit process

These are the key events in the assurance and audit process.

June to July 2026

We will send indicative Annex G documents to you in July 2025. These should be returned by 31 July 2025.

September to December 2026

We will send final Annex G documents to you at the end of the academic year. We will pre-populate this with the amount of funding you have received, and the trainees the funding relates to.

The completed document and auditor report will help you to provide us with the necessary assurance for both the amount received and the purpose for which it was used. Further guidance on this process will be sent to you at the same time. These should be returned by 31 December 2026.

January to March 2027

In addition to the audited document and auditor report, we also apply a sampling process to gain assurance of the bursary expenditure. This involves assurance checks through the collection of evidence on sampled trainees, including trainee ID, withdrawals, course information, degree class and payment information. 

Recoveries and reimbursements will be completed through the payment profile or invoice.