NHS funding for medicine, dentistry and healthcare in England and Wales has changed a lot over recent years, so it’s become quite a complicated to work out what you’re entitled to. The bottom line is this: what you’re entitled to all depends on your course and when you started it. Funding might not be available until many years after your course begins, but even so, the kind of funding you get is always what you were entitled to on the day your course began.
See the details most appropriate to you:
Am I eligible for an NHS healthcare bursary?
To get any higher education support from the government in the UK, you and your course must be eligible for it, according to the general rules (see Can I get higher education funding in the UK? for more information). However, you may be eligible for an NHS bursary even if you’ve had government funding for higher education before, and even if you’ve had an NHS bursary before you may be eligible for another one if you want to change professions.
The main criteria are that you must be considered a resident in the UK and you must be accepted for an NHS-funded place on a full- or part-time course that leads to professional registration as a:
- doctor or dentist
- chiropodist, podiatrist, dietician, occupational therapist, orthoptist, physiotherapist, prosthetist, orthotist, radiographer, radiotherapist, audiologist, speech and language therapist (these are called the ‘allied health professions’ or AHPs)
- dental hygienist or dental therapist
- nurse, midwife or operating department practitioner
For more details, see:
Now, here’s a tricky bit: the kind of course you’re taking determines where you get your NHS funding from. If you’re studying:
- Medicine or dentistry, you get your funding from the country where you’re considered a resident, but you can use that funding to study elsewhere in the UK (eg if you’re resident in Wales you can use your funding from the NHS in Wales to study at a university in England). The following details about NHS funding for medicine and dentistry courses are for students who normally live in England or Wales.
- A healthcare subject other than medicine or dentistry (eg nursing, midwifery, an AHP) you get your NHS funding from the country where you’re studying (eg if you’re studying in Wales you get your funding from the NHS in Wales, even if you’re usually resident in England). However, you may be able to top up your NHS funding with other support from the country where you normally live. The following details about NHS funding for healthcare courses other than medicine and dentistry are for students who normally live in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland and want to study in England or Wales.
If normally live in Northern Ireland, or you want to study there, see I’m studying medicine, dentistry or healthcare – what higher education funding can I get in Northern Ireland?
If you normally live in Scotland, or you want to study there, see I’m studying medicine, dentistry or healthcare – what higher education funding can I get in Scotland?
I started my course on or after 1 September 2012 – what funding can I get?
If you started your course on or after 1 September 2012 and you’re eligible to get an NHS bursary, the kind of funding you get depends on your course (the following figures are for 2012/2013).
If you’re studying on a full- or part-time course in a subject other than a medicine or dentistry (eg nursing, midwifery, operating department practice, an AHP), you get the following for the whole duration of your course:
- Tuition fee grant: each year the NHS pays your tuition fees directly to your university or college.
- Grant: each year you get an amount of money for living expenses that doesn’t depend on your income. Full-time students get £1,000, and part-time students get a percentage of this, based on how much of your time you spend studying.
- Bursary: each year you get an amount of money for living expenses that depends on your household income (your parents’ or partner’s income plus yours) and how many weeks you need to study each year (up to 45 weeks). For a 30 week full-time course you can get up to £3,128 if you study in London or £2,591 if you study elsewhere – less if you live with your parents while you study. Part-time students get a percentage of the full-time bursary, based on how much of your time you spend studying.
You don’t need to pay this money back. For the latest figures and more information, see NHS bursaries for England and NHS bursaries for Wales.
You can also apply for loan for living costs from whoever provides the funding where you normally live (eg Student Finance England). How much you can borrow depends on where you live and study, and you can’t borrow as much in the final year of your course. If you’re studying for a postgraduate qualification, you may be able to get a similar loan – speak to your student finance provider to find out.
If you’re studying on a standard five or six year medicine or dentistry undergraduate course, you can get the same NHS bursary and loans that are available to students studying subjects other than medicine and dentistry – however, you can only get this funding for the fifth and subsequent years of your course. For your first four years of study you’re entitled to the same support that’s available to all undergraduate level students from Student Finance England or Wales.
If you already have a degree in another subject and you’re studying on a four year graduate-entry medicine or dentistry undergraduate course, you can get the same NHS bursary and loans that are available to students studying subjects other than medicine and dentistry – however, you can only get this funding for the second and subsequent years of your course, and for those years your bursary covers up to £3,465 of your tuition fees. In your first year you must pay up to £3,465 towards your tuition fees, and you can’t get a tuition fee loan to pay for this. But in subsequent years you can apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £5,535 from Student Finance England or Wales to meet any shortfall not covered by your bursary. In your first year you can get a loan for living costs from Student Finance England or Wales and any supplementary grants, but no maintenance or special support grant.
For more details about standard student support for undergraduates, see:
I started my undergraduate degree course before 1 September 2012 – what funding can I get?
If you’re studying for an undergraduate degree qualification (eg in medicine, dentistry, nursing or an AHP) and you started your course before 1 September 2012, you can get an NHS bursary to help with:
- Living expenses: the amount you get each year depends on your income and your parents’ or partner’s income. You’re entitled to more if you study in London or live away from your parental home. Part-time students get 75 per cent of the equivalent full-time bursary.
- Tuition fees.
You don’t need to pay this money back.
If you’re studying on a standard five or six year undergraduate course, the NHS bursary is available for your fifth and subsequent years of study only. For your first four years of study you’re entitled to the same support available to all undergraduate level students from Student Finance England or Wales.
If you already have a degree in another subject and are studying on a four year graduate-entry undergraduate course, the NHS bursary is available for your second and subsequent years of study only. You must pay your tuition fees for the first year (up to £3,375). You can’t get a tuition fee loan for this, but you can apply for a loan for living costs from Student Finance England or Wales.
For more details about student support for undergraduates, see:
I started my diploma-level course before 1 September 2012 – what funding can I get?
If you’re studying for a diploma-level qualification and started your course before 1 September 2012, you can get an NHS bursary to cover the entire length of a full- or part-time course in nursing or midwifery (or operating department practice if you get your funding from the NHS in England).
Your tuition fees are paid for you, and your grant for living costs doesn’t depend on your income (or your parents’ or partner’s income). The amount you get depends on the year you started your course and whether you get your funding from the NHS in England or Wales. You’re entitled to more if you study in London or live away from your parental home. You don’t need to pay this money back. Part-time students get a grant for living costs that’s an appropriate portion of what a full-time student gets.
For more information, see:
What extra NHS bursary funding is available?
Extra funding is available along with your NHS bursary. All students who get an NHS bursary are also entitled to:
- An allowance to cover extra weeks of your course, if it’s longer than standard. As with the bursary, you don’t have to pay it back and you get more for studying in London or away from your parental home.
- Reimbursement for the cost of travel between your term-time home and a practice placement site that’s not part of your university or college. Extra residential costs may be reimbursed as well (eg if you have to stay at or near the placement site).
As well as this, you may be eligible for extra funds depending on your circumstances. Follow the links that apply to you:
If you’re an undergraduate medicine or dentistry student and you’re facing serious financial difficulties, you may be eligible for an NHS Hardship Grant if you’re getting an NHS bursary and you’ve taken out all the student loans you can. For more information, see:
- England: see the NHS hardship support information
- Wales: speak to your university or college, or your students’ union for advice
Also, see Where do I go for help if I’m in financial difficulty?
How do I apply for an NHS healthcare bursary?
You need to apply for your NHS bursary each year. For the NHS in:
- England, apply directly to the NHS Business Services Authority within six months of the first day of the academic year.
- Wales, when you’re offered an NHS funded place, the institution advises the NHS Wales Student Awards Unit of the offer, and the Unit sends you an application form.
Apply for other support (eg tuition fee loans, maintenance grants) to Student Finance England or Student Finance Wales.
What if I don’t have an NHS healthcare bursary?
England: if you’re a medical or dental student in the early years of your course before you can claim an NHS bursary, or you’re not eligible for one, you can get a grant to help cover the costs of travel when you’re attending a clinical placement in the UK or studying abroad.
If you’re doing a clinical placement in the UK you can apply for travel costs between your home and the hospital or facility where you’re doing your placement. If you’re studying abroad you can apply for up to three return journeys between your home and the overseas institution during a full academic year abroad, plus medical insurance, expenses and travel visas (only if essential).
If you’re a single parent, you may be able to apply for your children’s travel costs as well.
The amount you get depends on your household income (your parents’ or partner’s income plus yours), and you have to pay the first £303 of travel costs.
You must be a resident in England to get the grant, and you can get it alongside other student finance (eg your maintenance grant and loan for living costs).
For more information, including details of how to apply, see Travel grants for medical and dental students (England).
This information was updated in March 2013. NUS provides this information in good faith and has taken care to make sure it’s accurate. However, student finance issues can be complicated, and rules change frequently. You should contact the advice centre in your students' union, college or university for support if you’re uncertain or need more help.