Press Release, Church of England Media Centre.
The Church of England has announced a multi-million-pound overhaul of the maintenance grant system for people training for ordained ministry aimed at ensuring that ordinands get the support that they need.
Under the terms of national spending plans announced in 2025, around £2 million extra per year is to be invested in a redesigned and more generous grant scheme for people training for ordained ministry in the Church of England.
The announcement comes as the number of people entering training has risen after four years of decline, with 442 entering training in September last year compared to 329 the year before.
Under the current system all maintenance support is means tested but the arrangements, starting from the 2026/27 academic year, will provide eligible ordinands in full-time training with non means-tested maintenance grants of between £17,141 and £26,127, calculated according to average housing costs in three designated ‘zones’ throughout the country.
The standard grants will be topped up for those with children or other dependents with means tested awards which will be calculated on significantly more generous terms than under the previous system. A discretionary fund for emergencies or exceptional costs rounds off the package.
Part-time ordinands will receive an annual grant of £1,000 to help with costs during training such as paying for computer equipment and books, in addition to being able to claim travel expenses. They will also be able to apply to the discretionary fund if their training leads to additional exceptional costs, such as for childcare.
The new system is part of the new Ministry Training Fund, or MTF, and aims to ensure greater clarity, consistency and an easier way of accessing financial support while in training.