Student Finance Centre
Social Work students
Department of Health Social Work Bursary
The arrangements for Social Work students have not yet been announced for 2012 but the information below gives details of the support currently available to students starting in 2011. For more information please check the NHS Business Services Authority website.
Home students are currently entitled to a non-repayable bursary from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA). The rate for 2011/12 is £4,575 per year for new full-time students and £2,287.50 per year for part-time students, and this is paid over 52 weeks (the figures for 2012/13 have not yet been announced). This bursary is not income-assessed.
Loans for Fees and Maintenance, Grants and University Bursaries
The NHS BSA bursary is paid in addition to the standard statutory support package. Full details of the statutory support including maintenance loans, grants, bursaries and tuition fee loans are available in our full-time undergraduate funding section.
How to apply
You will be able to obtain a separate application form for the Social Work bursary from the NHS Business Services Authority website. You apply for your statutory support (for example, loans, grants and university bursaries) via Student Finance England.
When applying for your student loan it is important that you read the questions carefully. When it asks if you will be receiving a bursary from the NHS tick "no", as they do not mean the Social Work Bursary.
NHS Business Services Authority contact details:
Social Work Bursaries
Sandyford House
Archbold Terrace
Sandyford
Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 1BF
Tel: 0845 610 1122
Fax: 0191 203 5507
Email: swb@ppa.nhs.uk
Website: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/swb
Postgraduate Social Work students
Students currently studying an MSc in Social Work are also eligible for a bursary from the NHS Business Services Authority. This bursary will include full payment of all tuition fees for all eligible students. The bursary consists of a non-income assessed basic grant, including a contribution towards practice learning opportunity related expenses, of £3,362.50 (2011/12 rates).
All full time home (UK) students meeting the eligibility criteria will be offered up to £3,440 towards their tuition fees (2011/12 rates). This support is paid as a grant and is non-repayable.
There is also an income assessed Maintenance Grant of up to £2,608 and income assessed allowances to assist with certain living costs depending on the student's individual circumstances, as recipients of the bursary will not ordinarily be entitled to local authority funding. For further information please visit the NHS Business Services Authority website. All awards are paid in three instalments.
Postgraduate Social Work students are not eligible for any student loans or grants from Student Finance England.
