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NHS bursaries

If you’re doing a course in medicine, dentistry, or healthcare like nursing, you may be able to get a bursary from the NHS.

A bursary is a yearly payment to help with living costs and tuition fees. It is paid each month and does not have to be paid back. Eligible part-time students can apply for a reduced bursary.

Applications for NHS bursaries are dealt with by NHS Student Bursaries. Once you’ve been offered an NHS-commissioned training place NHS Student Bursaries will write to tell you how to apply.

If you get an income-assessed NHS bursary you may still get help through the standard student finance package, you will need to apply for this separately.

• NHS Student Bursaries Opens new window

NHS bursaries - if your course starts after 1 September 2023

New NHS students starting a course from 1 September 2023 can get up to:

• £1,000 grant from the NHS
• £3,263 maintenance loan from Student Finance England
• £5,460 bursary from the NHS
  

The size of the bursary depends on your household income but the grant and the maintenance loan do not. The amount of finance you can get depends on:

• where you live
• where you study
• whether you live with your parents
• the number of weeks you study each year
• household income (bursary only)

Allowances for disabled students and students with dependants are not changing in 2012/13. Different terms apply to medical and dental students (see 'Medical and dental courses').

Healthcare professional courses

NHS bursaries are available for certain healthcare professions. The finance available is made up of:

• a degree-course bursary based on your income
• full payment of your tuition fees
• a reduced rate (approximately 50 per cent) Maintenance Loan, not based on your income if you are studying for a degree
  

Social work

Bursaries are available to eligible social work students who:

• don’t get funding from their employer
• are studying an approved undergraduate or postgraduate course in social work

Your university or college will tell you if your course qualifies.

Undergraduate students may also be able to get help from the standard student finance package, including student loans.

Graduates doing an undergraduate social work course can apply for the Maintenance Loan part of the standard student finance package.

• More about the social work bursary Opens new window

Medical and dental courses

If you’re doing a standard five or six-year medical or dental course, you can apply for extra financial help through an NHS bursary. To qualify, you must:

• have started your course in September 1998 or later
• normally live in England
• be studying in the UK
• the first four years of your course are funded in the same way as other eligible full-time higher education courses.

After the fourth year of your course you get different financial help consisting of:

• an NHS bursary based on your income
• your tuition fees paid by the NHS
• a reduced rate (approximately 50 per cent) Maintenance Loan, not based on your income

Graduate-entry accelerated medical and dental programmes

NHS bursary support is available to students following the graduate entry-accelerated medical and dental programmes. A reduced level maintenance loan is also available from Student Finance England.

In year one you have to pay the first £3,465 of your tuition costs yourself. In years 2-4 the first £3,465 of your tuition costs is paid with an NHS bursary. You can also get a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £5,535 to pay for the remaining tuition costs.

Arrangements are the same for students starting an accelerated medical and dental course in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

More useful links

• Student finance: how and when to apply

• Financial help for disabled students in higher education (disabled people section)

• Benefits for higher education students with low incomes (money, tax and benefits section)