PGCE bursary

Hey everyone,

I'm an American that's just started the full-time PGCE (aka teacher training) course a month ago, and I heard from an American two years ago that they didn't allow students who weren't resident in the UK for less than 3 years to get the £1000/month bursary money/teacher training salary (I've only been resident for 9 months).

Despite having heard this, I filled out the form my uni sent me with my account details for bursary payment, just on the off chance... Low and behold, today I received a payslip in the post from my uni saying that £1000 will be paid into my account tomorrow.

I figure, just to be on the safe side, I'm going to open up a separate savings account and send all of the money they happen to give me to that, just in case they made a mistake and want it back.

Is it actually the case that I'm wrong and they give this money to all trainees on the PGCE programme? I've looked in my documentation and haven't seen anything said one way or the other.

Thanks a lot for your input!

I was looking into PGCE's recently (I was considering doing one myself next year, although I am a UK citizen) and I was under the impression that non-EU students who haven't been in the UK for 3 years were required to pay about £9,000 in fees (compared to the £3,000 fees that UK/EU students pay) and were not entitled to a bursary.

According to the PGCE page on the graduate careers website Prospects:

"You [International student] will only be eligible for the government-funded bursaries to train as a teacher if you have been in the UK for three years or more and have a residency visa."

Yeah, I did have to pay £9065 for my course fees. My residency status was investigated when I applied since I lived in the UK at the time but they saw that I was American. After sending in the documentation, I was deemed by the university to have to pay international student fees, which I anticipated.

Perhaps I just confused someone there since I already have a NI number and have a bank account here. It makes sense that international students don't get the bursary since on UK student visas it says "no recourse to public funds". I guess only time will tell whether they will want their money back or not!

Please keep me updated - I am applying for a PGCE course starting next September, and it would be great if I were eligible for the bursary.  I hope it isn't just a glitch in the system!

If you don't mind my asking, what subject are you going to teach?  It would be great to get some information about what you went through during your PGCE application process.  I have two good friends in the UK who are doing PGCE courses now, but they are both English and they aren't able to help me navigate the application process as an American. 

Any info or tips that you have would be very helpful - I am completing my senior year of college now and hope to teach French and possibly Spanish as well. 

Thanks,
Stef

Hi,

I'm doing MFL (French and German) in the the North West. My French is to degree level and I did one year of German while at university and it's about at A-level in the English school system.

I would really suggest beefing up your Spanish so you could teach it, at the very least to the end of Key Stage 3 (year 9 aka 8th grade). Most schools here want to have teachers that can offer two languages because you're better value for money. Plus, Spanish, at least in my area, is becoming increasingly popular amongst pupils and teachers, so it would be a sound decision to offer it. Single language teachers, in my experience so far, seem to be a bit of a rarity.

For the application process, it can honestly be a real pita. There are a lot of hoops you will have to jump through. They might say you don't meet GCSE qualifications despite the fact that you have a high school diploma. If so, they will try to convince you to take equivalency tests. Make sure you have copies and your originals of your university and high school diplomas.

You will most likely have to be in the UK for the interview: bring those diplomas with you because they will want to see them as proof. Make sure you compile a list of your residences in the past 5 years so you can complete a CRB check form (criminal background check)  either beforehand or on the day of the interview that the university requires.

Also, being American, they might require that you observe secondary MFL classes for a day or two to make sure that you really want to do the course. So, if you are in the UK for a few days before or after the interview, arrange to do those.

Definitely make an effort to research the UK school system before the interview too. You don't need to know everything, but having at least a good overview of knowledge of their system is a good idea. Key words to look up are the National Curriculum, Attainment Targets, Key Stages, Target Language, Four Skills, GCSE and A-level exams. A really excellent book that was on our bibliography which has many articles that give a good review of the history of the English educational system (and Scottish and Welsh systems iirc as well) is: . Try to find it at your school's library. I myself haven't bought it, I just checked it out from my local library in the UK, but it's a really fantastic overview.

If you have any other specific questions, feel free to post them here or pm me.

Hi Lilac

I'll be doing the PGCE aswell this September 2009. I was wondering if I will be entitled to the bursary? Im a non uk citizen. How did yours go?

Ive been living in england for quite some time now... BTW did you know there is a maintenance grant for people taking the PGCE around 1200 per month from Student FIiance England..?

DO PM me or mail me to tell me if your bursary went well

Thanks a lot.

Bummie,

How long have you been living in England for? Under what visa category? The rule of thumb for being charged home versus international student fees is residing in the UK for three years. Residing as a student, if you happen to be one, doesn't count.

Being a UK/EU citizen doesn't always guarantee home fees, either. If you've been living out of the country for more than a year, you're charged international fees.

Correct me if I am wrong since I haven't investigated it, but the grant through Student Finance England is probably for UK residents only, especially if the grant is money from the government.

My wife is going through all of this at the moment (not for teaching) but it may be the fact your married to a  UKC (I don't know your history).

There are several good UNI degrees for teaching one UNI is Worcester Uni and the other is Newman College and they have an excellent degree course and both are well thought of Newman is in B'ham.

Indy