NHS Bursary Funding 

The NHS Bursary provides funding for eligible student studying to become a doctor or dentist.   

You may be eligible to receive the bursary if you meet the following criteria:  

• you’re on an undergraduate course lasting 5 or 6 years, or 

• you’re on a graduate entry course lasting 3 or 4 years, and 

• your course is in the Office for Students' medical and dental student intake 

• you’ve already received the NHS Bursary in a previous year 

If you’re studying a medical or dental course as your second degree, you may also be eligible. 

You will also ned to meet the residency requirements: 

• you need to normally live in England and will be an English resident on the first day of your first academic year. 

If you moved to England from somewhere else in the UK for your studies, you will not be eligible and should apply to the funding authority of the UK country in which you usually reside (SAAS, SFW or SFNI). 

Please get in touch if you wish to discuss the residency requirements for funding in more detail.  

You can read the full guidance on the NHS Bursary at NHS Bursary 2025/26 

 

When to apply 

The bursary is not paid for all years of study, and the rules can get a little complex if you have foundation or intercalated years, or repeats/interruptions.  

The general guidance is: 

• If you’re on an undergraduate course lasting 5 or more years, you can apply for years 5 and 6. You can include a foundation year if it was an integral part of your course. 

• If you’re on a course for graduates lasting 3 years, you can apply for years 2 and 3. 

• If you’re on a course for graduates lasting 4 years, you can apply for years 2, 3 and 4. 

• If you’ve repeated any years of your course that are not eligible for the NHS Bursary, these years do not count as qualifying years. For example, if you repeat the second year of your undergraduate course, you can apply for the NHS Bursary from your course year five which is actually your sixth year of study. 

• If you need to repeat a year that qualifies for the NHS Bursary, you may be entitled to up to 12 months of additional bursary. 

• If you took an intercalation year in the first 4 years of your undergraduate degree at bachelor’s or master’s level, this counts as a qualifying year. Intercalation years at PhD level do not. 

 

What you could get 

Non-means tested bursary 

The 2025 to 2026 rate is £1,052 for all students. 

Means tested bursary 

The 2025 to 2026 rates are: 

• up to £3,356 if your university is in London and you do not live in your parental home 

• up to £2,780 if your university is outside of London and you do not live in your parental home 

• up to £2,321 regardless of university location if you live in your parental home 

The amount you can receive depends on whether you’re a dependent or an independent student. If you don’t meet the independent criteria as detailed in the link, it is likely that you will be classed as dependent.  

If you’re a dependent student, your means tested bursary amount is based on your parents’ income if they choose to declare it. *  

If you’re independent, it will be calculated based on your spouse, partners, or civil partner’s income if they choose to declare it. *  

*Please be aware if the relevant parties choose not to declare income, it is likely you will only receive minimum support as a household income assessment will not be undertaken.  

If you have income, from specific sources, this can also be used when assessing means tested bursary entitlement. This can include pensions, sponsorships or bank/building society interest, but will not include income from working on a part time or casual basis. 

Tuition fees 

If your NHS Bursary application is successful, NHSBSA will pay a tuition fee contribution directly to your university. 

The 2025 to 2026 academic year tuition fee contribution rates are: 

up to £9,535 for an undergraduate course lasting 5 or 6 years 

up to £3,830 for a graduate entry course lasting 3 or 4 years – this rises to £3,925 for English students attending an eligible course in Northern Ireland 

Additional allowances 

Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to more support, such as travel and dual accommodation costs (TDAE), Childcare Allowance (CCA) or Extra Weeks Allowance. 

You can read more about these allowances by visiting the Additional Allowances page.  

 

SFE Funding 

For the years prior to the NHS Bursary funded years, eligible undergraduate students will receive the standard package of funding from SFE.  They may also receive a reduced rate maintenance loan year 5 onwards. 

This can be between £1567 and £2753 dependent on whether it is your final year, and where you live (at or away from parental home). 

The rules regarding funding for graduate entry medicine and dentistry are somewhat more complex, so we would recommend that you contact us if you require further guidance on this.  

 

How to apply 

Applications for 2025/26 are now open.  

You need to register for an NHS Bursary account or sign in to your existing account to apply. 

If you have previously been in receipt of an NHS Bursary, you should receive and email from NHSBSA inviting you to reapply.  

You can read more in the step by step guide to applications.  

You must apply within 9 months of the start of your academic year. 

 

When it is paid 

If eligible, you will receive your bursary funding in 3 instalments once the university have confirmed your attendance.  

For example, if you start in September, your payment dates will be September, January and April. 

 

If you have any queries regarding the NHS Bursary, please get in touch for further advice. 

You can contact us at: https://www.upsu.com/advice/enquiry/  

 

Updated June 2025