NHS learning support fund

Financial support from the NHS

Students on certain pre-registration courses are eligible for between £5,000-£8,000

The NHS Learning Support Fund offers students access to non-repayable financial support of between £5,000-£8,000.

The fund is open to students on certain pre-registration courses, and can supplement your existing funding, and you won't have to pay the support back.

Find out more about the fund below – from who qualifies for the new funding, to how you'll receive your money if your application is successful.

The Learning Support Fund is different from the NHS Bursary

When the government initially announced the extra non-repayable funding of £5,000-£8,000 for students on specific pre-registration courses, it was commonly referred to as an ‘NHS Bursary’ – but this additional funding is an extension of the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Applying to the fund won't affect any other funding you're entitled to, such as maintenance loans, disabled student allowances and University bursaries.

The fund isn't means-tested, you won't need to pay back any money you receive, and it's open to both full-time and part-time students, who'll receive pro rata payments. All students will receive their funding in 3 instalments, phased over the academic year.

The extended package of financial support includes:

  • Parental support - £2,000 per academic year (p/a)
  • Training grant - £5,000 p/a
  • Specialist subject payment* - £1,000 p/a
  • Regional incentive* - £1,000 p/a
  • Travel expenses and dual accommodation allowance – reimburse expenses
  • Exceptional support fund – up to £3,000 p/a

*New students only

Who is eligible for funding from the NHS Learning Support Fund?

To qualify for the extra support you'll need to be:

  • On an eligible course at a university in England
  • Eligible for tuition fee and maintenance support from your national funding body (either Student Finance England (SFE), Student Finance Wales (SFW), Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS), or Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI).
  • Starting a new full academic year on or after September 2020

Eligible courses at the University of Portsmouth

Students on the following courses could be eligible for funding from the NHS Learning Support Fund:

How to apply

Students should apply through the NHS Business Services Authority, not their national funding body.

If you're applying for support, you'll need to have an account. Don't apply on any other system, as your application will be rejected.

For full details of the NHS Learning Support Fund – including full eligibility criteria – please visit the NHS BSA website.