Lecturers in Further Education (FE) colleges are set to receive a £3,000 one-off payment in August.
That is despite a continuing row between the college employers and FE unions over a wider pay deal.
Unions have called pay rises for lecturers of 1% for 2021-22 and 1% for 2022-23 "dismal".
But the employers have accused the unions of being "no longer willing to engage in negotiations".
The FE college employers - which represent the heads of the six FE Colleges - have now decided to implement the 1% rises for 2021-22 and 2022-23, and an additional one-off payment for lecturers.
The Department for the Economy (DfE), which is responsible for further education, told BBC News NI that the total cost of the pay deal was £12.6m.
"This business case was approved by the Department for the Economy, in line with Department of Finance pay remit approval process and guidance," a spokesperson for the department said.
