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Financial support at university

Students applying to study for many health courses need to apply for a student loan. Other financial support available includes:

• 25% more up front financial living cost support while studying compared to a NHS bursary. For example a single student studying on a three year programme would receive approximately £2,000 more funding support per year on a student loan
• a non-repayable grant of £1,000 per year for students with child dependants
• access to an exceptional support fund of up to £3,000 per year for those students facing severe hardship
• support for excess travel and dual accommodation expenses incurred owing to attending practice placements

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.
• Will any healthcare students still receive grants?

Is there any additional financial support for healthcare students?

The Government is making sure that additional funds are there 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 £21,000 per year. If their income drops below £21,000 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 £21,000.

Find out more about loan repayments on the Student Loans Company website. 

For many nursing and midwifery students, this is their second degree. What provision is there for them?

For entry onto courses starting between 1st August 2017 and 31st July 2018, the Government has made an exception for students studying nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions as a second degree so that these students can access student loans.

To ensure postgraduate students could continue their valuable contribution to non-medical professions, the Government has made funding available for a capped number of postgraduate healthcare places for new starters starting between 1st August 2017 and 31st July 2018, on the same terms as were in place previously. 

Subject to parliamentary approval, from August 2018 new postgraduate pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students will access loans from the Student Loans Company. Accessing loans will provide these students with at least 25% more up-front living cost support while they study. They will have access to the Learning Support Fund, administered by the NHS Business Services Authority, for support while attending clinical placements.

From August 2018, most pre-registration dental hygiene and dental therapy students will be able to access loans. This will enable them to be at least 25% better off while they study, and to have access to the Learning Support Fund. For the cohort starting in 2018 to 2019 only, students at 5 institutions will continue to have access to an NHS bursary for the duration of their course. These providers will be required to reform their courses to fit the standard model from August 2019.

Read more about the changes from 1st August 2018 on the Gov.uk website

Many health students already have a student loan from a previous degree. What will happen to them?

The Government will be broadening 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.

Will any healthcare students still 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.

• Help with tuition fees and living costs Expand / Collapse

  Most students from England pay tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year regardless of where they study in the UK. However, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. You pay this back in instalments once you are working and earning a certain level of income.

  You may also be able to apply for a Maintenance Loan to help with your living costs. If your household income is low, you could also get a Maintenance Grant or a Special Support Grant if you are on certain benefits. Unlike loans, you don’t have to pay these grants back.

  You can find out more about loans and grants and apply for them through Student Finance England. The student finance section of the UCAS website also has useful information.

  Note that there are differences in the way students from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are funded. If you don’t live in England, information can be found through Student Finance Wales, Student Awards Agency for Scotland or Student Finance NI.

• Other support Expand / Collapse

  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.

• Further information Expand / Collapse

  • Read the outcome of the public consultation about the changes on the Gov.uk website.
  • Visit the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) website for 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.