Financial support at university
This page outlines how you can finance your university studies.
All undergraduate and postgraduate nursing, midwifery and most allied health profession students can access students loans.
In addition to the allowances available from the Student Loans Company, additional support is available from the NHS Business Services Authority to students whilst attending clinical placements on many courses.
The Learning Support Fund makes available a child dependents allowance of £1000 per student per year, additional travel and accommodation costs to clinical placements over their normal daily travel costs and an exceptional hardship fund of up to £3000 per student per academic year.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there any additional financial support for healthcare students?
- When will the loan have to be paid back?
- For many nursing and midwifery students, this is their second degree. What provision is there for them?
- Many health students already have a student loan from a previous degree. What will happen to them?
- What about doctors and dentists? They currently receive grants in the final years of their degrees.
- Do any healthcare students receive grants?
- Is there any other financial support I can access?
- Where can I get further information?
- What is the situation in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales?
Is there any additional financial support for healthcare students?
Additional funds are available to help healthcare students with expenses like childcare and travel costs. These can be accessed through the Learning Support Fund - Visit the NHS Business Service Authority website for details
Under the student loan system, students are able to apply for non-repayable grants to cover additional childcare, adult dependants, parent learning costs and some costs towards travel to placements. Students with a disability can also apply for additional grant funding to help pay the extra essential costs they may have whilst studying on a higher education course as a direct result of their disability, through the Disabled Students' Allowance.
When will the loan have to be paid back?
Currently, student loans are generally paid back over a 30 year period and repayment is contingent on earnings. Graduates do not begin to pay back their loans until the April after they graduate, and then only if they are earning over £25,725 per year. If their income drops below this figure for any reason (part-time working, career break) their repayments cease.
The loan repayments are paid at a rate of 9% of any earnings over £25,725.
Find out more about loan repayments on the Student Loans Company website and the Government's website
New postgraduate pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students can access loans from the Student Loans Company. They may also have access to the Learning Support Fund, administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA), for support while attending clinical placements.
Many health students already have a student loan from a previous degree. What will happen to them?
The Government has broadened the range of qualifications for which students can access a second student loan to include nursing, midwifery and allied health subjects.
What about doctors and dentists? They currently receive grants in the final years of their degrees.
There are no plans in place to change the current arrangements for student doctors and dentists who are already on the DfE student support system for the first four years of their degree. Support arrangements are different for each UK country, so please see our pages on financial support for medical and dental students in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Do any healthcare students receive grants?
Under the student loan system, students are able to apply for non-repayable grants to cover additional childcare, adult dependants, parent learning costs and some costs towards travel to placements. These can be accessed through the Learning Support Fund.
Students with a disability can also apply for additional grant funding to help pay the extra essential costs they may have whilst studying on a higher education course as a direct result of their disability, through the Disabled Students' Allowance. Universities will also be required to include nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students within their financial support programmes.
Most pre-registration dental hygiene and dental therapy students will also access loans. However, for the 2018/2019 cohort only, students at the following 5 institutions will continue to have access to an NHS bursary for the duration of their course.
- Birmingham Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry
- Bristol Dental School
- Eastman Dental Hospital
- Greater Manchester School for Dental Care Professionals
- King's College Hospital Foundation Trust
Further information is available from the NHS BSA website. These providers will be required to reform their courses to fit the standard model from August 2019 and new students will access student loans.
Is there any other financial support I can access?
Some organisations and individual universities offer scholarships and bursaries (for example if you are a local student, from an under-represented group, want to study certain subjects or have particular academic potential).
- If you find yourself in particular hardship, your university may be able to provide extra financial support. Talk to your student welfare officer in the first instance.
- If you are a carer, have a disability, are a parent or have adult dependants, you may be entitled to additional state financial support.
Where can I get further information?
- More detailed information about the student finance on the Gov.uk website.
- The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) website has information about the current NHS student bursary system and the Learning Support Fund
- The Funding Clinic website has further information specifically for healthcare students
- Find out more about loans and grants and apply for them through Student Finance England.
- Visit the student finance section of the UCAS website for more useful information.
- Read information about the financial support available for medical and dental students in England.
What is the situation in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales?
Financial support for students in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland may differ from the information listed above. Please click on the relevant section below for more information.
Please also see our pages on financial support for medical and dental students in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.