Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships

Description

The Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships Program provides up to $40,000 to new undergraduate and up to $20,000 to new postgraduate teacher education students.

In return for a scholarship, recipients need to teach in government schools or government-run early learning settings after finishing their degree.

Benefits

Up to 1,000 scholarships are available for new undergraduate and new postgraduate students commencing a full-time accredited teaching degree in the first semester or study period of 2026. Scholarships are valued at: 

• Up to $40,000 for undergraduate teaching students
• Up to $20,000 for postgraduate teaching students

Recipients will be required to teach in government schools or government-run early learning settings for a period of time after graduation. 

Eligibility

To apply for a Commonwealth Teaching Scholarship, you must be living in Australia, and be:

• an Australian citizen
• a permanent resident
• a holder of a permanent humanitarian visa, or
• a New Zealand citizen.

Additionally, you must: 

• be commencing an Australian accredited teaching degree
• be starting your degree in the first semester or first study period of the year you apply for a scholarship (Round 1 – 2024 (closed), Round 2 – 2025 (closed), Round 3 – 2026, Round 4 – 2027, Round 5 – 2028)
• study full-time for the duration of your scholarship funding (determined by the length of your degree)
• be willing to commit to teach in a government school or government-run early learning setting in Australia after you graduate.

You cannot apply for a scholarship if you:

• want to study part-time at any stage of your degree
• want to begin your degree mid-year or intend to defer the start of your teaching degree
• are enrolling in a degree that is not an accredited teaching degree
• are currently partway through an accredited teaching degree
• are living or intending to study overseas
• have completed any units towards, and withdrawn from, an accredited teaching degree within 2 years of applying for a scholarship
• have already completed an accredited teaching degree.

You do not have to be enrolled in an accredited teaching degree before you apply for a scholarship. However, if you receive a Conditional Offer, you will be asked to provide official evidence of your full-time enrolment in an accredited teaching degree.

You can also see if you are eligible to apply for a scholarship in Round 3 by using the Eligibility Checker tool.

Selection Criteria

Students should be willing to commit to teach in a government school or government-run early learning setting in Australia after you graduate.