Eligibility criteria
To be eligible to apply for a Teacher Education Scholarship, an applicant must:
- be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- be continuing or entering an initial teacher education program (including initial integrated teacher education programs), or an undergraduate degree followed by an initial teacher education program, from Semester 1, 2025, at a recognised Australian university or tertiary institution. The applicant's studies will need to meet the department's and NESA’s academic requirements for employment as a secondary teacher of a high-demand subject area or, for those applying for a scholarship for inclusive/special education, either a primary and/or secondary teacher with a specialisation in inclusive/special education (K - 12). The high-demand secondary subject areas are:
- mathematics
- science (biology, chemistry, physics)
- technological and applied studies (TAS) (design and technology in combination with engineering studies, or industrial technology - metal and timber, or agriculture, or food technology and textiles and design)
- English (in combination with history or geography)
- be willing to accept an appointment as a permanent full-time teacher in a NSW public school in an agreed location in line with the Scholarship Agreement on completion of their studies for a minimum period of 3 years.
- be able to demonstrate that their English language proficiency is of a standard which would enable them to teach and interact effectively and confidently in a NSW public school. Applicants will be required to undertake an assessment of their English language proficiency if they have not completed the full 4 years of required higher education in a country where English is the main language. This is a requirement to gain approval to teach in a NSW public school.
Inclusive/special education eligibility criteria
There are only 3 recognised initial teacher education programs in inclusive/special education in NSW. These are offered through the University of New England, the University of Newcastle and the Australian Catholic University.
The University of Newcastle course is available as an internship in the fourth year of study, and, as entry is not guaranteed, is only appropriate for a one-year scholarship applied for in the third or second last year.
A scholarship is only available to students who commenced the Bachelor of Education (Secondary and Special Education) or Bachelor of Education (Primary and Special Education) at the Australian Catholic University from 2021 onwards.
Agreed locations
As part of the application process, applicants will be asked to select either ‘Anywhere in the State’ or at least 5 individual school education areas where they would like to be appointed on completion of their studies.
If applicants select to be appointed ‘Anywhere in the State’, they are agreeing to be appointed to a school in one of the following school education areas: Albury, Armidale, Bankstown, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Blacktown, Bondi, Bourke, Broken Hill, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Clarence/Coffs Harbour, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Fairfield, Granville, Griffith, Hornsby, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Liverpool, Maitland, Moree, Mount Druitt, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Orange, Parramatta, Penrith, Port Jackson, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Ryde, Shellharbour, St George, Sutherland, Tamworth, Taree, Tweed Heads/Ballina, Wagga Wagga, Windsor or Wollongong.
If applicants wish to select 5 or more individual school education areas, they must select metropolitan locations and/or non-coastal rural or remote locations where teachers are in high-demand.
The metropolitan areas where teachers are in high-demand are: Bankstown, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Granville, Liverpool and Mount Druitt.
The non-coastal rural areas where teachers are in high-demand are: Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bourke, Broken Hill, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Griffith, Moree, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga.