Media releases

Federation University Australia welcomes the recent announcement from the Victorian Government to provide scholarships to students that enrol in secondary school teaching degrees.

A number of new initiatives were announced that will help cover the cost of degrees, and support and retain teachers once they enter the workforce.

Scholarships will be available to all students who enrol in secondary school teaching degrees in 2024 and 2025, with final payments if they then work in Victorian government schools for two years after they graduate – supporting around 4,000 future teachers each year.

The total scholarship for students who complete their studies and then choose to work in government secondary schools will match the HELP fees charged by the Commonwealth Government for Commonwealth Supported Places – $18,000 for a four-year undergraduate program or $9,000 for two years of postgraduate study.

In addition, additional funding will be provided to the Career Start initiative to support and retain teachers, by developing graduate teachers in government schools with extra preparation time, mentoring and other professional support to help them flourish in their first year of teaching.

Enrolments for 2024 are open at Federation University which offers the Bachelor of Secondary Education course at its Ballarat (Mt Helen), Berwick and Gippsland campuses. Further information can be found here: https://study.federation.edu.au/course/DTN5.

Quote attributable to Professor Claire McLachlan, Executive Dean, Institute of Education, Arts and Communities, Federation University Australia

“As Victoria’s premier regional university, we are constantly working with government and industry to address regional skill shortages and proudly train the next generation of educators through our Bachelor of Secondary Education. The Victorian Government’s scholarships for those who are interested in secondary teaching are a fantastic initiative and should help to ease the teacher workforce shortages. The expansion of funding for Career Start is also welcome news to support beginning teachers to adjust to the profession.”