Financial Support from NHSBSA Learning Support Fund
What is the Learning Support Fund?
Students studying eligible healthcare courses may be able to receive funding support from the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHSLSF). Provided you meet the eligibility criteria, the NHSLSF can be paid in addition to funding from the Student Loans Company (SLC)
You can read the full guidance on the NHSLSF at Learning Support Fund 2025/26
To be eligible or the NHSLSF you must be:
Your support from the Student Loans Company can be with either:
Eligible courses:
Students starting or continuing a course from September 2020 onwards can apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHSLSF) if they’re on one of the following pre-registration undergraduate or postgraduate courses:
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Nursing (adult, child, mental health, learning disability, joint nursing or social work)
What funding do you need to apply for first?
You first need to apply for student finance in the same way as non-health professionals, from your relevant funding body (SFE, SFNI, SFW or SAAS).
Please be aware that some pre-registration postgraduate programmes are funded through the undergraduate loan system rather than through PG Masters loans. If you are not sure what you should be applying for, we can offer further advice.
If you are eligible for a student loan but choose not to apply for personal or religious reasons, NHSBSA will assess your eligibility on a case-by-case basis. You must be able to show that you meet the required eligibility criteria as set out by the Student Loans Company.
Learning Support Funds available
There are four available strands of non-income assessed funding available from the NHSLSF. Not all students will be eligible to receive all of the allowances.
These allowances are:
Training Grant of £5,000 per year. This does not need to be repaid. Students who are studying for part of the academic year will receive a pro rata payment unless they are interrupting their studies due to pregnancy.
Parental Support of £2,000 per year for student parents with at least one dependent child under the age of 15 (or 17 if registered as having special educational needs). £2000 is the yearly maximum – it will not increase dependent on the number of children.
Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses for reimbursement of excess travel up to
Specialist Subject Payments of £1000 per academic year for students studying course that leads to registration in the following areas:
• Mental Health Nursing
• Learning Disability Nursing
• Radiography (Diagnostic and Therapeutic)
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Orthoptics
• Podiatry
Students on a dual qualification course that incorporates at least one of the above subjects from the beginning of the course will also be eligible for the specialist subject payment.
In addition, NHSLSF offer the Exceptional Support Fund, which is a means tested, non-repayable grant of up to £3000 for students experiencing unforeseen hardship.
To claim ESF, you need to:
You also need to have applied to your university for any hardship or other available funding first. If your application was unsuccessful, you can still apply for ESF if you first asked your university for help.
How to apply for the NHSLSF
To apply as a new student, you will initially need to create an NHS Learning Support Fund Account
You must apply and submit all appropriate evidence within 6 months of the start of the academic year for it to be considered.
You must reapply each year you remain in study. Continuing students should receive communication from NHSLSF regarding reapplying.
Applications for the 2025/26 academic year are now open.
When it is paid
If eligible, you will receive your bursary funding in 3 instalments once the university have confirmed your attendance.
For the 2025/26 academic year, if the year starts in September or October, the payment dates are:
Term 1 - 18 November 2025
Term 2 - 17 March 2026
Term 3 - 21 July 2026
Students with a previous degree or previous study
Ordinarily, for students who already hold an equivalent or higher-level qualification, the is no statutory funding available for a second degree.
i.e. if you already have a bachelor’s degree you cannot receive student finance funding for another.
However, pre-registration healthcare courses can be an exception to this rule; often detailed as exception/exemption courses.
If you already have a degree but plan to pursue a second degree in an eligible healthcare course or you have previous years of study at degree level, you may have access to student loans through the student loans system.
However, you will not be eligible for student funding if you have previously been professionally registered in the field you intend to study.
*Paramedicine is not automatically classed an exception course. If you need further guidance on this, please get in touch.
If you remain unsure about your eligibility for funding through the Student Loans Company or NHSLSF, or believe you have been assessed incorrectly, please get in touch for further advice.
You can contact us at: https://www.upsu.com/advice/enquiry/
Updated June 2025