Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships Open

Applications are open for the 2026 round of the Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships Program, delivering up to $40,000 for teaching students.

The scholarship takes some of the pressure off, freeing students from the need to seek paid work to support themselves during their studies.

Meg was inspired to study teaching in Year 10 when she participated in a school program to work with Year 7s as an introduction to high school.

“The program was fun and rewarding and it allowed me to see myself in a teaching role. It helped me to realise that being a teacher was something I could do and enjoy for a long time. 

She has found the scholarship to be a great help and application relatively painless.

“The scholarship I have received helps me to continue in my degree because I do not have to work so often to support myself, giving me more time to focus on my studies as well as more time to enjoy myself. This stops me burning out and keeps me motivated to study.”

She thinks a good teacher truly cares about their students and what they achieve. They are flexible and considerate of their students’ needs when they are teaching, and they present content in a way that shows they really enjoy and are passionate about what they do.

“My advice to anyone considering a teaching degree is to try it out first. Take on some work where you will get to spend time around kids, volunteer at your local junior sports club or scout group, so you can see how it feels to work with children and teenagers and figure out if you like it. I only realised I wanted to teach after spending time around younger kids in a mentor role, and you’ll realise pretty fast if you love it or hate it.

“My advice for anyone applying for the program is not to sweat it too much. The organisers have made the application process really straightforward, which is nice compared to many other scholarship programs.”

Round 3 applications are now open and will close on Monday 12 January 2026 at 5:00pm AEDT.

To apply for a Commonwealth Teaching Scholarship, you must be living in Australia, and be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident, a permanent visa holder or a New Zealander.

Scholarships are open to students commencing an Australian accredited teaching degree in the first semester or first study period of the year they apply for a scholarship. Round 3 - 2026, Round 4 - 2027, Round 5 - 2028 are still open.

Almost 2,000 teaching students have already received scholarships in the first two rounds, with strong participation from regional, rural and remote communities.

Applicants have to study full-time for the duration of the scholarship funding and be willing to commit to teach in a government school or government-run early learning setting in Australia after they graduate.