Student Finance Centre

Social Work students

This page is relevant to you if you will be a new student starting your course in 2013/14 for the first time.  If you started your studies in 2012/13 or earlier please visit our current students section.

Department of Health Social Work Bursary

The information below relates to the 2012/13 academic year. Information for 2013/14 will be published here as soon as the NHS makes it available.

Full-time home (UK) students studying BSc (Hons) Social Work will be entitled to a non-repayable bursary from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA). The rate for 2012/13 is £4,575 per year for full-time students and £2,287.50 per year for part-time students, and this is paid in three termly instalments. This bursary is not income-assessed.

For more information please check the NHS Business Services Authority website.

Loans for Fees and Living Costs, 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

The information below relates to the 2012/13 academic year. Information for 2013/14 will be published here as soon as the NHS makes it available.

Home (UK) students studying an MSc in Social Work are eligible for a bursary from the NHS Business Services Authority. The bursary consists of a non income-assessed basic grant, including a contribution towards practice learning opportunity related expenses, of £3,362.50.

All full time home (UK) students meeting the eligibility criteria will also be offered up to £3,828 towards their tuition fees.

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. 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 loans or grants from Student Finance England.