Grants and funding

DSA provides extra support for those students who incur extra course costs as a direct result of their disability. This support is not income assessed and you don’t have to repay it.

You can apply for DSA before you start your course and should contact your student finance provider for more details. If you're a part-time student you can apply for a pro-rata DSA as long as you are studying at least 50% of the course that full-time students would study each year.

If not already receiving them, students with dependents can apply for Tax Credits through HM Revenue & Customs. 

Eligible undergraduate students with dependents can apply for grants and allowances and will receive these on top of their  tuition fee and maintenance loans:

• Adult Dependants Grant  (income assessed but not repayable)  
• Parents Learning Allowance (income assessed but not repayable) 
• Childcare Grant  (income assessed but not repayable)

Help with childcare costs

Both undergraduate and postgraduate students may be eligible for government help with childcare costs through tax-free childcare, 2, 3 and 4 year old free childcare, (15 hours over 38 weeks) or (11 hours over 50 weeks), 3 and 4 year old free childcare (30 hours over 38 weeks) or (22 hours over 50 weeks), tax credits, universal childcare, care to learn. 

Applicants who have been in local authority or foster care can receive a one-off higher education bursary of £2,000 from your local authority, which is paid in instalments. Your local authority will be able to assist in the application and answer any questions you may have.

Loans

If you’re starting an undergraduate pre-registration nursing, midwifery or allied health professions course you can apply for a loan from Student Finance to help with your tuition fees and living costs .Unlike most other health pre-registration courses, if you’ve already received a loan from Student Finance for a previous degree, you’ll not be eligible for a second loan to study Paramedic Science. 

There are also a range of means-tested loans, including a specific long-course loan designed to support students on healthcare courses that run over 45 weeks or more.

Grants

Department of Health Training Grant

The Department of Health announced in December that from September 2020 new and continuing students studying pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health degrees will have access to a training grant of £5,000 a year to help with living and associated study costs.

Some students may be eligible to receive additional payments worth up to £3,000 per academic year, including:

• £1,000 towards childcare costs
• £1,000 if studying in a region that is struggling to recruit
• £1,000 if a new student studying a shortage specialism, including mental health

You won't have to repay the training grant and you'll still be able to access tuition fee and maintenance loans from the Student Loans Company. You will also still be able to apply for the existing support provided by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) 

Applications open from the 1st July. For further information (including full eligibility criteria) and to apply online visit NHS Learning Support Fund.

NHS Learning Support Fund

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) provides additional funding for nursing, midwifery and some allied health professional students through the Learning Support Fund. Eligible students may be able to access the following:

Support for excess travel and dual accommodation expenses incurred by attending practice placements.

• A non-repayable grant of £1,000 per year if they have child dependants.
• Exceptional support of up to £3,000 per year in the case of severe hardship.

For further information including when and how to apply, visit the NHS Business Services Authority website.

Travel expenses

You can apply to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for a small bursary to help cover the cost of travelling to placement.

Further information, including how to apply can be found on the NHSBSA website.