Funding for national professional qualifications (NPQs)

National professional qualifications (NPQs) are flexible professional development courses for teachers and leaders to improve skills, progress careers and deliver improved outcomes for schools. 

You may be able to get your NPQ course fees paid for by the Department for Education (DfE). This is called scholarship funding.  Youfunding. You do not need to apply for it.

When you register for an NPQ, DfE will tell you if you are eligible for funding. 

Scholarship funding for spring 2025 

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You will only beavailable eligible for scholarship funding for the spring 2025 cohort if your setting is on one of the eligible disadvantaged settings lists and you are taking one of the following NPQs:lists:

• leading teacher development
• leading teaching
• leading behaviour and culture
• leading literacy
• senior leadership
• executive leadership
• early years leadership

EligibilityFor liststhese forNPQs, scholarship funding to cover the springfull NPQ course cohortcost will be made available into earlyteachers 2025.and leaders from eligible schools and 16 to 19 settings.

Leading

For teacherthe development NPQ  

in early years leadership, highly disadvantaged early years settings will also be eligible.

For the leadingthe teacher development NPQ, in leading teacher development, scholarship funding is also available if you are taking on the role of lead mentor for an initial teacher training (ITT) provider accredited to deliver ITT from September 2024.

Early headship coaching offer

For the early headship coaching offer,offer, funding to cover the course fees will be available if you are in your first 5 years of headship in England in a state-funded school or state-funded 16 to 19 organisation.

You should also be doing or have done the headship NPQ for headship.

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Funding restrictions 

You can only receive scholarship funding for each NPQ once. 

If you receive scholarship funding but then withdraw from or fail your programme, you cannot receive scholarship funding for the same NPQ again.  again.

Being eligible for an NPQ scholarship does not guarantee either either:

• suitability for the course or
• that a funded course place is available. available

NPQ providers are responsible for determining suitabilitysuitability, through their application process.processes.

The amount of NPQ scholarship funding available nationally is limited. This means some teachers and leaders who are eligible for a scholarship may not be able to access a funded place.

NPQ providers manage the application process for the courses they deliver and may need to prioritise applications to manage the number of funded places they have available. For example, NPQ providers will need to prioritise applications for NPQ for SENCOsSENCO places to support those needing to take the qualification to meet statutory requirements.

If funded places are not available with your chosen NPQ provider, you can:

• approach a different NPQ provider to enquire about the availability of funded course places
• choose to join your chosen providersprovider’s waiting list
• choose to pay for a course place

NPQ courses provideshas more information about NPQ providers.

Suitability

The course suitability requirements may vary depending on the provider. You should check with your chosen course provider before you register.

You may meet the funding criteria but not the course suitability requirements.

Legacy NPQs 

If you received scholarship funding for a legacy NPQ (before November 2021) and withdrew from the programme, you’re still eligible for scholarship funding for the current NPQs.