Nationwide teaching scholarships targeting rural and regional students to help ease teaching shortage

Thousands of students will be eligible for scholarships from Monday that could cover the cost of their entire bachelors or masters degrees in teaching — and regional students are a focus. Scholarships up to $40,000 are part of a national bid to entice potential students to enrol in a teaching degree. In total, 5000 scholarships will be available nationwide each year, beginning with students starting their teaching degrees in 2024. This came after admissions data showed that university applications for education degrees dropped nearly 20 per cent this year, compared with 2023. Scholarships of $40,000 each will be available for undergraduate teaching students over four years and $20,000 for postgraduate students over two years. Applications are strongly encouraged from regional and remote students and mid-career professionals looking for a change. To encourage more teachers to live and work in remote parts of the country, students completing their final year professional experience placements in these communities may receive an additional top-up payment of $2000. The Geraldton Universities Centre gives those in Geraldton the opportunity to remotely study teaching through CQ University and live locally rather than having to relocate to the city. GUC director Natalie Nelmes said the benefits to encouraging teaching students to study locally were endless. “Almost all of our teaching students pick up work as education assistants from local schools so they build up experience and have income while studying with us,” she said. The scholarships are also a fantastic incentive to encourage people to teach in the regions. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said: “Tying scholarships to a commitment to teach is an old school idea that will help tackle today’s teacher workforce challenges.” Prospective teaching students can register their early interest online at https://www.education.gov.au/teaching-scholarships. Applications close on January 14, 2024.