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Social work and NHS students - extra help

If you’re doing a course to prepare you for a career in social work, medicine, dentistry, or certain areas of healthcare, the financial help you can get may be different from the standard student finance package available to other students.

In some cases this help is paid on top of the standard finance package available to other higher education students, and in other cases instead of it.

Social work

If you are studying for a career in social work, you may be able to get a non-repayable bursary through the NHS Business Service Authority’s Prescription Pricing Division. These bursaries are available to eligible students who don’t get funding from their employer and are studying an approved undergraduate or postgraduate course in social work. Your university or college will tell you if your course qualifies.

Undergraduate students can also apply for the standard student finance package - but you don’t need to qualify for the standard package to get the social work bursary.

If you’re a graduate doing an undergraduate course in social work

Though you wouldn’t usually be entitled to support through the standard student finance package if you’ve already done a government-funded higher education course, you can apply for the Student Loan for Maintenance if you’re a graduate student doing an undergraduate course in social work.

See the section below on ‘How to apply or find out more’ for guidance on applying for the social work bursary.

Medical and dental courses – the NHS bursary scheme

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 will be funded in the same way as other eligible full-time higher education courses. However, in your fifth and further years of study, you'll be entitled to different financial help. The main entitlement consists of:

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

Graduate-entry medical programmes

NHS Bursary support is also available during years two, three and four for students on a four-year graduate-entry medical programme.

In year one you may be eligible for some support from the same sources as other higher education students - see the section below on ‘Applying for help through the standard student finance package’.

In years two, three, and four, the main entitlement to NHS Bursary Support consists of:

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

Financial help for certain healthcare professional courses

The NHS Bursary in England also provides financial help to fund a limited number of places on courses in certain healthcare professions.

The main entitlement consists of:

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

How to apply or find out more

Social work bursary

To get the social work bursary, you have to meet certain eligibility criteria - set out in full in the bursary application form and guidance notes. You can find out more about the social work bursary and download the application form and notes by following the link below.

You should check that the form and guidance notes are relevant to the start date of your course.

• More about the social work bursary Opens new window

Healthcare courses

Applications for NHS bursaries and other financial help for medical, dental and selected healthcare professions for students studying in England are dealt with by NHS Student Bursaries.

You can find a full list of courses that are covered and the financial help available in the booklet, 'Financial Help for Health Care Students'.

You can download a copy from the NHS Student Bursaries website.

• Find out about NHS-funded courses at the NHS Student Bursaries website Opens new window

• Contact NHS Student Bursaries

Applying for help through the standard student finance package

If you’re getting a social work or NHS bursary, you may still qualify for help through the standard finance package (though you won’t be able to apply for the Fee Grant or Course Grant for part-time students if you’re getting an NHS bursary).

You’ll need to make a separate application for help through the standard student finance package.

• Applying for student finance

Access to Learning Fund

You may also be able to apply for help from the Access to Learning Fund if you are in financial hardship.

• Access to Learning Fund: extra help if you need it