The Student Room Group

NHS student loan.....

Hey,

I've been trying to make sense of the whole student finance thing, filling in forms and reading info etc and from what I can gather I am only entitled to around £3,300 of the general maintenance Loan (not NHS).

I am going to be studying for a degree in OT and a Uni gave me a hand-out on finanacial help for healthcare students, which talks about a means-tested NHS bursary (doubt I will get it) and a NHS(?) student loan, which is non-means tested.

My question is, will I be entitled to this NHS loan on top of the general maintenance loan? i.e. are they two separate loans which do not affect each other? The loan would be for £2055 as I will be living away from home but outside London. It also says I have to apply to my LEA, do I have to contact them now, or do the NHS send a form with the bursary application?

Thanks x

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
xHayley18x
Hey,

I've been trying to make sense of the whole student finance thing, filling in forms and reading info etc and from what I can gather I am only entitled to around £3,300 of the general maintenance Loan (not NHS).

I am going to be studying for a degree in OT and a Uni gave me a hand-out on finanacial help for healthcare students, which talks about a means-tested NHS bursary (doubt I will get it) and a NHS(?) student loan, which is non-means tested.

My question is, will I be entitled to this NHS loan on top of the general maintenance loan? i.e. are they two separate loans which do not affect each other? The loan would be for £2055 as I will be living away from home but outside London. It also says I have to apply to my LEA, do I have to contact them now, or do the NHS send a form with the bursary application?

Thanks x

to my knowledge there is no NHS student loan (unless they've chnaged it for this year but I don't think so)

as a student on an NHS course you would be entitled to apply for your normal maintenance loan (Means tested or non means tested, repayable), your tuitio fees will be paid and you can apply for a NHS Bursary (means tested, not repayable)

feel free to correct me if they have introduced a NHS student loan and I'm talking rubbish
Reply 2
OK, so if I have got the wrong end of the stick, how the hell does this government think I can afford to live off £2055 a year (when my accommodation will cost £4000 alone!?!) It's ridiculous!

Quote my uni hand-out for health care students 'you can obtain a means-tested bursary and a reduced (non-means tested) student loan'. Does this mean that I am not entitled to £3,300 general maintenance loan I thought I was, and I have to make do with the £2055 just because I'm doing a health course? It makes no sense when I'm not entitled to the bursary cos of my household income....

If this is the case I won't be able to afford to study.... I thought the whole idea of a loan was the borrow the amount of money you need!!
Reply 3
xHayley18x
OK, so if I have got the wrong end of the stick, how the hell does this government think I can afford to live off £2055 a year (when my accommodation will cost £4000 alone!?!) It's ridiculous!

Quote my uni hand-out for health care students 'you can obtain a means-tested bursary and a reduced (non-means tested) student loan'. Does this mean that I am not entitled to £3,300 general maintenance loan I thought I was, and I have to make do with the £2055 just because I'm doing a health course? It makes no sense when I'm not entitled to the bursary cos of my household income....

If this is the case I won't be able to afford to study.... I thought the whole idea of a loan was the borrow the amount of money you need!!

basically we're screwing ourselves over by doing a health course lol However unfortunate it is there is nothing we can do.......you will be eligible to apply for the bursary and unless you're parents earn 40k plus you should be pretty safe.......my mum is the only one working and get 170 a month, but someone else on my course, her husband earns in excess of 50k and she gets no help at all, not even child care costs.

Because you're eligible for the brsary (regardless of wether you get it or not) the loan is reduced (yes, even if you don't get an bursary! Crazy I know!) and means tested is 75% of the full loan - so I think its arond 3k for people starting next year.....I get 2500 but am under the old system, but I think its gone up abit for those startng next year.

Get a job in the summer and hols - work your arse off, work at weekends - Its crap, but unfortuntely thats the way it is if youre a ahealthcare student.......
Reply 4
JackieS
basically we're screwing ourselves over by doing a health course lol However unfortunate it is there is nothing we can do.......you will be eligible to apply for the bursary and unless you're parents earn 40k plus you should be pretty safe.......my mum is the only one working and get 170 a month, but someone else on my course, her husband earns in excess of 50k and she gets no help at all, not even child care costs.

Because you're eligible for the brsary (regardless of wether you get it or not) the loan is reduced (yes, even if you don't get an bursary! Crazy I know!) and means tested is 75% of the full loan - so I think its arond 3k for people starting next year.....I get 2500 but am under the old system, but I think its gone up abit for those startng next year.

Get a job in the summer and hols - work your arse off, work at weekends - Its crap, but unfortuntely thats the way it is if youre a ahealthcare student.......

just to confuse things more! I just phoned my LEA and student loans company nd basically noone can give me a straigh answer ta to wether you're only allowed to apply for non-means tested loans if you eceive an NHS bursary! So - the advice from the SLC was - apply for means tested anyway and if you aren't eligible for the remaining 25% then they'll you and you'll get the 75% available through non means tested

so, apply for means tested regardless

bloody system is screwed!
Reply 5
I applied for the non-means tested because the form does say that as an NHS funded student you're only eligible to apply for the non-means tested loan (and that's at a reduced rate). I rang the Civic Centre to check and they confirmed it. (I rang SLC too Jackie and they were ridiculous, the man was clearly just guessing, "Well, my understanding of it is...." Yeah, but what about the facts?! Got the same advice - I really don't think they know what they're talking about. Which is encouraging...)

But they don't tell you that till halfway through the flipping form...:rolleyes:
Reply 6
Felicity9
I applied for the non-means tested because the form does say that as an NHS funded student you're only eligible to apply for the non-means tested loan (and that's at a reduced rate). I rang the Civic Centre to check and they confirmed it. (I rang SLC too Jackie and they were ridiculous, the man was clearly just guessing, "Well, my understanding of it is...." Yeah, but what about the facts?! Got the same advice - I really don't think they know what they're talking about. Which is encouraging...)

But they don't tell you that till halfway through the flipping form...:rolleyes:

do you have a page reference for that? I've checked my form and the notes that come wt it and can't see anywhere that says you can only apply for non means tested.........I'm sure it must be possible to apply becaue I remember applying last year and being suprised at the lona amount I'd been offered only for the SLC to contact me and tell me they'd accidentally put me through as a means tested rather than a non-means tested.......
Reply 7
Yeah, it's on page 9 of the notes booklet I've got, in section 5:

'e1 If you answer "yes" to this question (are you applying for an NHS means tested bursary) the only element of student finance you are eligible to apply for is the non-income assessed part of the maintenance loan and this will be at a reduced rate.'
It was news to me!
Reply 8
Felicity9
Yeah, it's on page 9 of the notes booklet I've got, in section 5:

'e1 If you answer "yes" to this question (are you applying for an NHS means tested bursary) the only element of student finance you are eligible to apply for is the non-income assessed part of the maintenance loan and this will be at a reduced rate.'
It was news to me!

Hmmm that is interesting - how come noone else at te SLC could find that - seriously - they getworse every year!
Reply 9
JackieS
Hmmm that is interesting - how come noone else at te SLC could find that - seriously - they getworse every year!

I still can't find it but if you've quoted it then Ill take it as gospel lol
Reply 10
I'm really confused about the whole finacial aspect as well.

I've apllied to Diagnostic Imaging and the thing that I've been told though is the NHS bursery will the bulk of my financal support and to apply for a student loan as well to topup the bursery. The LEA will take into account how much I'm getting from the bursery and top it up.
Reply 11
DevilsOwn
I'm really confused about the whole finacial aspect as well.

I've apllied to Diagnostic Imaging and the thing that I've been told though is the NHS bursery will the bulk of my financal support and to apply for a student loan as well to topup the bursery. The LEA will take into account how much I'm getting from the bursery and top it up.

You will get
a) a means tested NHS bursary which is paid monthly
and
b) a reduced rate NON-MEANS TESTED (so make sure you fill int he right form) STudent loan.

The student loan is reduced because you're receiving the bursary
Reply 12
JackieS
You will get
a) a means tested NHS bursary which is paid monthly
and
b) a reduced rate NON-MEANS TESTED (so make sure you fill int he right form) STudent loan.

The student loan is reduced because you're receiving the bursary


so what is the maximum amount u can get for the loan?surely being in london..it'll be higher? maybe..lol
its so confusing..
Reply 13
dreams24_7
so what is the maximum amount u can get for the loan?surely being in london..it'll be higher? maybe..lol
its so confusing..

yes it is slightly higher if you're living away from home and in London. I think the max full loan is about 4k - so it'll be around 75% of that
Reply 14
sorry for being slow but just want to make sure i get this right as i'm so confused!!! basically all healthcare students have to apply for A NON INCOME ASSESSED LOAN from the student loan company?
also how do you work out how much busary you get from the NHS? my brother is at uni ( not doing an NHS course) and he gets a £1000 non repayable grant from the student loan company ( along with £3000 loan) is this about the same amount i can expect (i.e is the NHS busary about the same as the grant from the student loan company??)
sorry again for all the questions, i'm just so confused esp with the student loan deadline so near!!!
Reply 15
embrace
sorry for being slow but just want to make sure i get this right as i'm so confused!!! basically all healthcare students have to apply for A NON INCOME ASSESSED LOAN from the student loan company?
also how do you work out how much busary you get from the NHS? my brother is at uni ( not doing an NHS course) and he gets a £1000 non repayable grant from the student loan company ( along with £3000 loan) is this about the same amount i can expect (i.e is the NHS busary about the same as the grant from the student loan company??)
sorry again for all the questions, i'm just so confused esp with the student loan deadline so near!!!

if you are applying for a bursary (regardless of wether you actually get one or not) you can only apply for NON MEANS TESTED STUDENT LOANS...............as for the bursary - it is means tested so it varies from person to person. I'm 23, living at home and in London, my mum is the only erning (19k) and I get 170 a month.................so until you apply its impossible to say how much you'll get as there are additions for childcare, ages, disability etc etc etc. If you're apply for non means tested loan then you are NOT eligible for the grant that the student loans company gives in adddition to the student loan
OK, I've just applied for student finance via the online form (apparantly the first potential NHS student to do so). I had to call their support line a couple of times while filling it in, as in parts the form is not clear for NHS students.

Anyway, they confirmed that as an NHS student, applying for a means-tested bursary, you can only apply for the non-means tested portion of the student loan (thereby only qualifying for the maintenance portion). There is an option to choose the non-means tested bursary (can anyone confirm in what circumstances you would choose this one).

However, there was an anomaly in the form, which I'm not entirely convinced about. Basically, there is a question (which you must answer) which asks how much the university tuition fees are. As an NHS student, fees are non-payable, however when I first rang Student Finance I was told I couldn't put a 0 figure in and had to contact the Uni to find out how much the course costs were. I phoned the Uni and they confirmed that the question should not be applicable for NHS students, but could not advise about the form. I rang Student Finance back who thought (but could not give a definite answer) that I should put a 0 vaue in. I did this and was able to process the form.

Anyway, to cut a long (and boring) story short, if you are applying online, check with the student finance team what value to enter for this question, however I think to put in a 0 value is the most logical choice.

sDs
Reply 17
SuperDuperSumo
OK, I've just applied for student finance via the online form (apparantly the first potential NHS student to do so). I had to call their support line a couple of times while filling it in, as in parts the form is not clear for NHS students.

Anyway, they confirmed that as an NHS student, applying for a means-tested bursary, you can only apply for the non-means tested portion of the student loan (thereby only qualifying for the maintenance portion). There is an option to choose the non-means tested bursary (can anyone confirm in what circumstances you would choose this one).

However, there was an anomaly in the form, which I'm not entirely convinced about. Basically, there is a question (which you must answer) which asks how much the university tuition fees are. As an NHS student, fees are non-payable, however when I first rang Student Finance I was told I couldn't put a 0 figure in and had to contact the Uni to find out how much the course costs were. I phoned the Uni and they confirmed that the question should not be applicable for NHS students, but could not advise about the form. I rang Student Finance back who thought (but could not give a definite answer) that I should put a 0 vaue in. I did this and was able to process the form.

Anyway, to cut a long (and boring) story short, if you are applying online, check with the student finance team what value to enter for this question, however I think to put in a 0 value is the most logical choice.

sDs

Some courses like nursing give non means tested NHS bursaries - so thats when you would tick it. Physios don't tck it as our bursary is means tested

I applied by paper so dnd't have the problem of having to write zero - I just wrote on the side that the NHS would be paying them. Had no problems at all. If it doubt, put 0 then there should be somewhere at the end for you to add any extra information - and then you can write in there that its NHS funded. Dont' worry too much
Reply 18
Sorry if i'm repeating what has already been discussed, but can i only apply for....
1) NHS Bursary (income-assessed, non-repayable) ..once the forms are available
2) A Student Loan (which is at a reduced rate, has to be non-income assessed and is repayable) by filling out the Student Finance form PN1

My household income is around £25k and i'll be living at home, so can i not apply for a maintenance grant/loan instead of the student loan?
Reply 19
shoiab
Sorry if i'm repeating what has already been discussed, but can i only apply for....
1) NHS Bursary (income-assessed, non-repayable) ..once the forms are available
2) A Student Loan (which is at a reduced rate, has to be non-income assessed and is repayable) by filling out the Student Finance form PN1

My household income is around £25k and i'll be living at home, so can i not apply for a maintenance grant/loan instead of the student loan?

yes

the maintenance loan and student loan are the same - ts the maintenance grantyou won't get

Latest