People who speak or study languages sometimes consider teaching them in secondary schools. In England, the Department for Education (DfE) pays bursaries and scholarships to trainees on certain teacher training courses, and languages are among the subjects included. This article summarises the DfE’s funding guidance for initial teacher training for the 2026 to 2027 academic year and its bursary funding manual for the same year. It applies to teacher training in England that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS), and the figures can change from year to year. It is general information, and course providers confirm eligibility in writing.
The amounts for 2026 to 2027
For postgraduate courses in 2026 to 2027, the DfE offers a tax-free bursary of £20,000 for languages, including ancient languages. A scholarship of £22,000 is available for French, German and Spanish only, and no scholarship exists for other languages. The manual says the bursary depends on the subject the trainee trains to teach, not the subject of their degree, and that the award is fixed for the duration of the course.
The amounts are lower than the year before. The guidance for 2025 to 2026 listed £26,000 for languages, including ancient languages, and £28,000 for French, German and Spanish scholarships. The manual warns that no assumptions should be made about the value or scope of awards in future years.
Who is eligible
Applicants may be eligible for a bursary with a 1st, 2:1, 2:2 or master’s degree or a PhD. Scholarships are usually available to applicants with a 1st, 2:1 or master’s degree or a PhD, though in exceptional circumstances they may be awarded to a graduate with a 2:2 and significant relevant experience. Trainees are only eligible if they are entitled to support under the student finance criteria, with an exception for languages and physics trainees who received an offer before 5pm on 7 May 2026. A degree from outside the UK must have the breadth and depth expected of a UK first degree with at least second class honours.
The course must lead to a recommendation for QTS and be delivered by an accredited provider. Courses leading only to an academic award, such as a postgraduate certificate in education without QTS, or to QTLS, do not qualify. A course combining subjects must be 50% or more languages to attract the languages bursary; the manual gives the example of a 50% languages and 50% history course, which receives the languages bursary.
Scholarships
Scholarships are applied for separately from the teacher training application, to the relevant professional body, and are awarded only to applicants who pass an application and interview process. A trainee cannot receive both a scholarship and a bursary, although a trainee whose scholarship application is unsuccessful may still be eligible for a bursary. Scholarships carry additional benefits from the scholarship body, listed in the DfE guidance as membership of the professional body, subject-specialist events, workshops, mentors and coaching, access to classroom resources and professional development.
How the money is paid
The manual says awards for full-time courses are paid in 10 equal monthly instalments over the course. A £20,000 bursary is £2,000 a month and a £22,000 scholarship £2,200 a month. A trainee gets the first payment if actively engaged in the programme on the first day of the month after the start date: a September 2026 starter would be entitled to the first payment on 1 October 2026. Payments are not taxable, though they may be treated as capital income when state benefits are assessed.
Trainees who receive a bursary must not be paid a salary or other payment for teaching work that contributes to the training. They can have both a salary and a bursary if the employment is not related to the course and is not used for assessment against the teachers’ standards. Bursaries are confirmed in writing by the training provider, which the manual says must happen in good time before the course begins.
Other routes and what they pay
An undergraduate bursary of £9,000 is available for an opt-in QTS course in secondary undergraduate languages starting in 2026 to 2027, paid in the final year, or in both the third and fourth years on a four-year course that includes a master’s. A veteran bursary of £40,000 is available to eligible former armed forces members on an eligible QTS course including languages, paid as £20,000 in each of the last two years. Trainees on the School Direct (salaried) route are not eligible for bursaries or scholarships; the DfE instead gives grants to providers, £20,000 for languages including ancient languages in 2026 to 2027.
Teaching English to speakers of other languages abroad uses different credentials, covered in the guide to TEFL and TESOL certification. For how language exams are structured before teaching, see GCSE and A level.
The bottom line
In England, a postgraduate trainee on a QTS course in languages can receive a £20,000 bursary in 2026 to 2027, or a £22,000 scholarship in French, German or Spanish, paid in monthly instalments with the course provider confirming eligibility in writing. Amounts were higher in 2025 to 2026 and may change again. Anyone considering the route should check the current DfE guidance and speak to teacher training providers.
Sources
- Funding: initial teacher training (ITT), academic year 2026 to 2027, Department for Education (gov.uk)
- Initial teacher training bursary funding manual: 2026 to 2027 academic year, Department for Education (gov.uk)
- Funding: initial teacher training (ITT), academic year 2025 to 2026, Department for Education (gov.uk)