Financial support for medical students

While you are studying medicine you will have three main costs to meet: tuition fees, living costs and course costs. The financial support available to help meet these costs varies according to whether you permanently live (are domiciled) in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland or the European Union as well as in which UK country you choose to study.

This section talks you through the financial assistance available to students studying in the UK, how to apply for this support and when the application deadlines are.

How much will I get?

Exactly how much financial assistance you receive is determined by three main categories:

  • your personal circumstances
  • when you started your course
  • which year of your course you are on

To receive financial support you must be personally eligible and studying a course supported by the organisations which administer student support in the UK on behalf of the UK Government, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Your personal eligibility depends on:

  • where you live (this is known as the residence requirement)
  • your age (not relevant unless you are over 60)
  • whether you have ever previously attended, or received support for, a publicly-funded higher education course. ‘Previous study’ rules can be very complicated, so check with the organisation to which you apply if this may affect you

If you are not a British Citizen, or have lived outside the UK for a prolonged period of time over the three years preceding the start of your course, you may not be eligible for financial support. The residency rules can get very complicated. Visit at the UKCISA website for more information on this.