NHS Bursaries are annual payments awarded to assist with day to day living costs while you are studying. It also includes the cost of your tuition fees for the course you wish to attend. A bursary is not subject to income tax deductions or national insurance contributions.
The income-assessed bursary is calculated using either your own, your parents’ income, or that of your spouse, civil partner or your partner, if appropriate. For medicine degrees this is awarded alongside the reduced rate student loan in the 5th year and above.
Who is entitled to an NHS Bursary?
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- First degree medical students in the fifth year of their medical course onwards.
- Intercalating medical students from the fifth year of study onwards (which may not be the fifth year of the medical course).
- Second degree medical students on a four year accelerated degree course from the second year of their course onwards (England and Welsh domiciled students only).
- Second degree five year medical students domiciled in England or Wales, and studying in any of the four UK countries when reaching fifth year (unless your course started before 2012, in which case this only applies to England and Welsh domiciled students).
Scotland
Students funded through the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) have no change in their funding when they reach their 5th and later years of study. For students studying medicine as their second degree, in Scotland you can also apply for the standard funding package from your fifth year of study. If you are studying medicine in the rest of the UK, then you can apply to have your tuition fees paid from the fifth year of study. In the first four years, you will need to apply for a tuition fee loan.
EU students
European Union students can apply for payment of tuition fees only at the same stage of their particular course as UK students.
Who administers the Bursaries?
England
The NHS Business Services Authority administers the Bursaries for English domiciled students and EU students studying in England. They award and pay bursaries to students on pre-registration health professional training courses according to the NHS Bursary Scheme as published by the Department of Health. If you are thinking of taking up (or are already enrolled on) a qualifying training course, you’ll find information on their website about who can apply for a NHS Bursary and how to apply.
NHS Student Bursaries also have a useful bursary calculator that will give you an estimate of what you could receive (if eligible). It is only to be used as a guide, and they cannot confirm your eligibility or award entitlement until they have received and processed your application and all supporting evidence.
Contact NHS Business Services Authority
NHS Student Bursaries
Ridgeway House
Northgate Close
Middlebrook
Horwich, Bolton,
BL6 6PQ
Tel: 0300 330 1345
Email: [email protected]
Opening hours:
8am-6pm Monday-Friday
9am-3pm Saturday
Closed on Sunday
Wales
Student Awards Services administers the Bursaries for Welsh domiciled students and EU students studying in Wales. You will still need to apply to Student Finance Wales for the non-income assessed student loan for maintenance.
Contact Student Awards Services
Student Awards Services
Floor 4
Companies House
Crown Way
Cardiff
CF14 3UB
Tel: 029 2090 5380
Email: [email protected]
Northern Ireland
Student Finance NI administers the NHS Bursaries on behalf of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSPSS) for Northern Irish domiciled students and EU students studying in Northern Ireland. You will also need to apply to Student Finance NI for the non-income assessed student loan for maintenance.
EU students also apply to Student Finance Northern Ireland.
Contact Student Finance Northern Ireland
Tel: 0845 600 0662