Teach Portsmouth has long championed the waterfront city as a place for people to train to become teachers. However, without knowing how to fund teacher training through bursaries, loans, and grants, it may seem like an unobtainable goal.

In this article, we explore the funding available for teacher training in the next academic year, enabling you to turn your dream into a reality. 

If you are considering becoming a teacher, funding will often be the first place you look to see if you can afford it. A tuition fee and maintenance loan are available for most people. The information provided in this blog is for the academic year 2025/2026.  

Changes to tuition fees

In 2024, the government announced increases to tuition fees payments. From autumn 2025, the maximum fees that providers can charge for postgraduate teacher training courses have increased.

If you've already applied for a course, speak with your provider to check if they'll be increasing their fees.

From September 2025, you'll pay:

• £9,535 per year for a full-time course
• £7,145 per year for a part-time course

The basics

Those exploring their options can apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,535 to cover your teacher training.

This means you will not need to pay any course fees upfront. If you choose to train in Portsmouth, you can apply for a maintenance loan of up to £10,544 can be applied for too, if you live way from home. If you live at home with your parents, this amount is reduced to £8,877. 

Additional financial support in the shape of post-graduate teacher training bursaries and scholarships are available for specific subjects. To see what you are entitled to, use the Get into Teaching finance calculator to see what you could claim. 

Bursaries and scholarships

If you want to do postgraduate teacher training in England that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS), you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship. These are tax-free amounts of money that do not need to be paid back.

Scholarships are offered by independent institutions. The requirements vary and will have specific eligibility criteria set against them. You will need to apply through the relevant scholarship body.

If you are eligible for a bursary, you do not need to apply for it as you'll automatically receive it. 

Post-graduate bursaries

A range of bursaries are available for different subjects, of up to £29,000. You do not need to apply for a bursary directly as your training provider will do this for you.  

You must be eligible for student finance to receive a bursary (unless you're training to teach physics or languages). You'll also need at least one of the following:

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

Compare bursaries and scholarships

Teaching degree apprenticeships

If you do not have an undergradudate degree already, teaching degree apprenticeships may be a good option to consider. You will work in a school, earn a salary while getting a degree and qualified teacher status. 

As this route is still new, training providers are still being confirmed in the Portsmouth area. We hope to announce information on teaching degree apprenticeships in the new year. 

In the meantime, you can find out more information about teaching degree apprenticeships on the Get into Teaching website. 

Start something rewarding 

Everyone's circumstances are different when you apply for funding. There is specific criteria you may need to meet but through a mixture of loans, bursaries and scholarships, funding your teacher training dream is closer than you might think. Visit the Get into Teaching page today for more information on your funding options.