Tertiary Fees Funding Support: Mathematics - Primary and Intermediate Teachers

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The Ministry of Education is continuing its Tertiary Fees Funding Support scheme for approved mathematics and literacy papers. Up to 600 teachers each year will be supported to study a mathematics paper at the graduate or post graduate level. Half the tuition fee will be paid for by the Ministry of Education and half by the teacher’s school, or teacher. MST participants will receive a subsidy of $1000 (GST exclusive). No release time or leave provision is part of this scheme.

The scheme is part of the Ministry of Education’s efforts to further develop teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and understanding in key areas of learning and teaching. This scheme builds on from the work started in Ministry professional development programmes for teachers in literacy and numeracy. It aims to support schools’ efforts to raise the achievement of all their students through increasing the expertise and knowledge of their teachers.

Timeline

  1. Completed application forms sent to Ministry of Education. All application forms need to be signed by the teacher, principal and Board of Trustee chair. 
  2. Letter of acceptance (or otherwise) sent to each teacher.
  3. Teachers formally apply to the university to enrol in the paper on application form. Note most university papers need a minimum number of students before they will be taught. If a paper does not proceed because of lack of numbers, students are welcome to seek enrolment into another approved paper.
  4. Teachers receive notice back from the university confirming they have been accepted into the paper and how much the tuition fee is.
  5. The school/teacher pays the full fee to the university. (Who pays for non tuition related fees or costs may need to be discussed by the teacher and Board of Trustees.)
  6. Teacher or school send:
    • a copy of the ‘confirmation of acceptance” (eg: a copy of the invoice from the university) to the Ministry of Education. Please make sure the teacher’s name and school is on this document. Non tuition costs should not be included.
    • An invoice for the reimbursement, addressed to the Ministry of Education, including an invoice number, the name of the teacher, the name of the initiative (Tertiary Fees Funding Support) and the amount of the 50% subsidy. Note: This will be $1000 GST exclusive for MST participants).
    • Invoices and ‘confirmation of acceptance’ can be sent at the same time to tertiaryfees.fundingsupport@education.govt.nz
  7. The Ministry of Education remits 50% of the tuition fee (or $1000 exclusive for MST participants) to the school operating account. Please be aware the process for sending schools occurs four times per year.
  8. The teacher completes the paper.
  9. A copy of the teacher’s results needs to be sent to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry reserves the right to invoice for the Ministry’s contribution if a copy of the results is not received. Feedback and comments are also welcome from teachers and principals.

Criteria for acceptance

In the event of over-subscription to this scheme, applications will be selected according to specific criteria. The criteria will be applied in the order noted below. The primary or intermediate teacher is:

  1. currently a lead teacher of numeracy or mathematics;
  2. part of a group of lead teachers of numeracy or mathematics who intend to enrol and study the same paper together;
  3. part of a group of teachers from the same school, including a lead teacher, who intends to enrol and study the same paper together;
  4. part of a group of teachers who intend to enrol and study the same paper together; then
  5. currently teaching numeracy and mathematics.

Teachers who are recipients of Ministry of Education study awards are not eligible for the subsidy. Once the study award is completed, recipients will be eligible for the subsidy.

The geographical region successful applicants live will match as much as possible the proportion of the geographic region of all New Zealand teachers. The date each application is received will also be noted, with earlier applications selected over later ones when all else is equal.

Enquiries

Please contact:
Tertiary Fees Funding Support
Ministry of Education, Wellington
Phone: 04 463 2863

Please scan and email all signed application forms and correspondence to:
tertiaryfees.fundingsupport@education.govt.nz

Please contact your University for a list of papers eligible for the subsidy