General eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for a teach.Rural Scholarship, you must:

1. Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
2. Be completing the HSC in a NSW or ACT secondary school or TAFE NSW institute in 2023 and intend on enrolling in 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, 2024, at a recognised Australian university or tertiary institution.*
   OR
   Be a current university student completing 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, 2024, at a recognised Australian university or tertiary institution no earlier than the end of 2024.* Current university students must be enrolled and studying during Semester 2, 2023.
3. Be willing to accept an appointment as a permanent full-time teacher to a NSW public school in a rural or remote location** in line with your Scholarship Agreement on completion of your studies for a minimum period of three years.
4. Be able to demonstrate that your English language proficiency is of a standard which would enable you to teach and interact effectively and confidently in a NSW public school. You will be required to undertake an assessment of your English language proficiency if you have not completed the full four 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.

* Your studies will need to meet the department's and NESA’s academic requirements for employment as a primary or secondary school teacher.

** The rural and remote locations under the teach.Rural Scholarship Program are: Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bourke, Broken Hill, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Griffith, Moree, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga.

Inclusive/special education eligibility criteria

There are only three 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 your 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.