Funding for Healthcare students

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.

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.

Note: 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.

How we support you

The University has a range of measures in place to reduce financial strain on Nursing, Midwifery, Operating Department Practice and Paramedic Science students.

Free uniforms

We'll set you up with your all important uniform to wear during your placements.

DBS checks

We'll cover the cost of the screenings required for your course.

Occupational Health

We'll support you through all of the entry processes.

Adult Nursing Bursary

In order to support students who want to enter into the nursing profession, and address the shortage of adult nurses in the UK, we have introduced a bursary for all students who enrol onto our Nursing Practice (Adult) course in September 2024.

Each student will receive a £500 bursary per year of study. Once enrolled on the course, you will automatically receive the payment in two instalments of £250, meaning there's no application process to go through.

As this is a bursary, and not a loan, you won't have to pay it back.

Terms and Conditions

To be eligible for our Adult Nursing Bursary, you must meet BOTH of the following criteria: 

Be a new student enrolling on to the BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing programme at either our Stoke or Stafford campus in 2024.

You must be a home [1] fee paying student and paying the full tuition fee for your course.

How do I apply? 

You do not need to apply. Allocation of the Adult Nursing Bursary will be automatic following enrolment.

How will I receive the funding?

Payment will be made in sterling via direct transfer into your bank account, details of which will be collected as part of our Enrolment processes. This must be a UK bank account.

You will receive the Adult Nursing Bursary in 2 equal instalments commensurate with the student loan payments one and two.

The Adult Nursing Bursary for Academic Year 2024/2025 is £500 so your instalments will be of £250 each.

Additional conditions 

If you transfer off the Adult Nursing programme to another programme at the University or elsewhere, you will not receive any further payments after the date of transfer.

You should be aware that if you withdraw or are withdrawn by the University from study, this will result in the cancellation of any further eligibility for this bursary and no further payments will be made to you.

If you are suspended from study, this may affect your entitlement to further payments. The University will consider all of the circumstances, including the reasons for the suspension and an assessment of whether and when you are likely to return to your studies.

You must be actively enrolled and engaged in your studies to receive each payment.  The University may hold your payments in the event of poor or non-attendance on your course.

Should you be paid from the scheme when you are not entitled to it, you will be required to repay this to the university.

Should you owe any money to the University at the time when a payment would otherwise be due to you under the Student Support Scheme, the University reserves the right to apply the payment to the reduction or satisfaction of your debt instead of sending it to you.

[1] Home fee payers are defined as those who pay the UK student tuition fee

Support from the Government

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:

£2,000 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.