Future Teachers Fund

Help future leaders thrive

Support the future of education – one teacher at a time.

The School of Education plays a vital role in preparing the next generation of teachers – but many students face financial stress during their final-year placements, which requires a significant number of unpaid teaching hours in schools.

From July 2025, eligible students will receive limited government support through the new Commonwealth Prac Payment. While this is a welcome step, it won’t fully cover the real costs of travel, accommodation, or lost income – especially for students placed in regional or high-need schools.

Your gift to the Future Teachers Fund helps close this gap. It provides direct financial relief to aspiring teachers, so they can focus on gaining valuable classroom experience – not how they’ll afford it.

By giving today, you're helping shape the future of education in Australia.

Jazz's story

Jazz was awarded the Teach in Country Scholarship for her semester one placement in 2024 and spent five-weeks living in Port Augusta, teaching English and history at the high school.

“Challenges of my placement included adjusting to being away from my loved ones in Adelaide, the long days involved with being active in a rural community and acclimatising to both living and working somewhere unfamiliar,” Jazz said. 

“In my experience, the rewards of my rural placement greatly outweighed the challenges I faced. Some of the highlights included the wonderful friends I made within the community, exploring the area (and snorkelling with the Cuttlefish in Whyalla!), learning more about Aboriginal culture and education, and the extracurriculars I was able to get involved with (Polly Farmer, basketball, school camps etc). It also provided me with the opportunity to experience life in rural South Australia for an extended period, solidifying my desire to begin my teaching career in the country.

"I have recently moved here long-term on Special Teaching Authority, to begin teaching full time in my final semester of university study. I couldn't recommend a rural placement enough and highly suggest that anyone even slightly curious apply and give it a go.

“However, I definitely wouldn't have undertaken a rural placement without scholarship support, as it would've been too unaffordable to go so long without income and also pay for five weeks of accommodation and other living expenses," Jazz said.

Shannon’s story

Shannon was awarded a Teach in the Country Scholarship in 2024, undertaking his placement at the Whyalla Secondary College.

“It was really rewarding working with year 7, year 9 and year 11 students across science, mathematics and mentoring. On site I was able to push the boundaries of placement more than I had in previous years,” Shannon said. 

"I was treated as a colleague rather than a student and given opportunities to plan, teach and make mistakes that I could learn from.

“Initially it was a big change being away from family, friends, sports clubs, and my regular routine. This, I would say, is the hardest challenge I faced whilst on placement. However, the beauty of moving out to the country is that you are moving out to communities where there are opportunities to find a place for yourself right from the get-go. Specifically, for Whyalla, I was able to get involved in playing footy with Roopena Football Club and already have a cricket team lined up for summer. I have had several offers to go fishing, yachting, cooking, bowling, and trips to the cinema from community members.

"Luckily, I was offered a Special Authority to Teach (SAT) to stay and teach for the remainder of the school year and because of how welcoming Whyalla has been I accepted it," said Shannon.