The Student Room Group

Impending threat to NHS Bursaries!!!

As many will have seen, news stories are popping up about the latest budget potentially scrapping bursaries for nursing students in favour of student finance loans. A fellow nursing student has started a petition, if you disagree with the scrapping of NHS bursaries please sign the following petition and please share on social media, the more exposure the better!

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/113491

(I hope this post is okay with the mods!)

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Original post by Dadeo
As many will have seen, news stories are popping up about the latest budget potentially scrapping bursaries for nursing students in favour of student finance loans. A fellow nursing student has started a petition, if you disagree with the scrapping of NHS bursaries please sign the following petition and please share on social media, the more exposure the better!

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/113491

(I hope this post is okay with the mods!)


Signed.

I hope they keep them; a lot of people on here want to study Graduate Medicine and the like and this will be very very bad if they get scrapped
Reply 2
It has been announced that they are getting rid of the cap and having student loans instead to fund for the course, but what about those who have already done a 1st degree and won't be able to apply for a loan?
Original post by chikane
It has been announced that they are getting rid of the cap and having student loans instead to fund for the course, but what about those who have already done a 1st degree and won't be able to apply for a loan?


I suspect that NHS courses will remain exceptions to the rule like PGCE's.
Reply 4
Original post by jelly1000
I suspect that NHS courses will remain exceptions to the rule like PGCE's.


Hopefully! Though I think the fact that they will end up having had 6/7 years of funding, the student loan debt will be massive and the likelihood of ever paying that back on a nurse wage is slim. I've also heard no mention about secondments. Having been seconded myself, if they take that away from me and they don't allow graduates to get more loans then i'd have to drop out as I can't self fund. It's a very scary position to be in being a current student!
Original post by Dadeo
Hopefully! Though I think the fact that they will end up having had 6/7 years of funding, the student loan debt will be massive and the likelihood of ever paying that back on a nurse wage is slim. I've also heard no mention about secondments. Having been seconded myself, if they take that away from me and they don't allow graduates to get more loans then i'd have to drop out as I can't self fund. It's a very scary position to be in being a current student!


As a current student who has used up 2 years of funding before starting nursing in September, I m hopeful that like with the sfe grants scrapping and the tution changes in 2012 they didn't affect the current students so fingers crossed we re safe. If not but they are allowing funding for second degree students then I think despite knowing I would then never pay my debt back (I m Welsh so currently it's only 15k I owe so would possibly then end up with 25k extra on top) I would stay on the course . However if the changes come in and affect me then I wouldn't have such a moral issue with getting a private job after graduating if I m completely honest.
I do feel like these changes could do untold damage and I imagine we d have a massive drop in applicants for nursing courses
Reply 6
Original post by claireestelle
As a current student who has used up 2 years of funding before starting nursing in September, I m hopeful that like with the sfe grants scrapping and the tution changes in 2012 they didn't affect the current students so fingers crossed we re safe. If not but they are allowing funding for second degree students then I think despite knowing I would then never pay my debt back (I m Welsh so currently it's only 15k I owe so would possibly then end up with 25k extra on top) I would stay on the course . However if the changes come in and affect me then I wouldn't have such a moral issue with getting a private job after graduating if I m completely honest.
I do feel like these changes could do untold damage and I imagine we d have a massive drop in applicants for nursing courses


Surely they will do this with new students not existing ones.
i start my adult nursing in feb 2016 and already have a degree so this is terrible as i don't think i would be able to do the course.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 7
Original post by chikane
Surely they will do this with new students not existing ones.
i start my adult nursing in feb 2016 and already have a degree so this is terrible as i don't think i would be able to do the course.


I think they're looking at introducing it for the Sept '17 cohort. Usually changes affect those starting but not those currently studying. Please sign and share the petition if you haven't already! :smile:
Reply 8
Original post by Dadeo
I think they're looking at introducing it for the Sept '17 cohort. Usually changes affect those starting but not those currently studying. Please sign and share the petition if you haven't already! :smile:


Just signed it :smile: think its terrible but they are introducing loans for post grad studies which people will go and do instead if they can't do nursing.
Can imagine them getting a high volume of applications next year so people can get in before the changes are enforced.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by chikane
Surely they will do this with new students not existing ones.
i start my adult nursing in feb 2016 and already have a degree so this is terrible as i don't think i would be able to do the course.


I think it will only be new starting students like all the previous stuff they brought in but if not it will leave an awful choice to have to make for many people.
From what I ve read they are bringing it in 2017 as it would be way too late to do for next year really.
The government doesnt really realise how many good potential nurses they ll lose over this :frown:
It may have already been noted, but will this affect students who are starting in 2016?


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Original post by claireestelle
I think it will only be new starting students like all the previous stuff they brought in but if not it will leave an awful choice to have to make for many people.
From what I ve read they are bringing it in 2017 as it would be way too late to do for next year really.
The government doesnt really realise how many good potential nurses they ll lose over this :frown:


Very true when i chose my degree i never thought of nursing as there wasn't much information or any talks about the course in sixth form and would not want to pay £9000 for 3 years to fund the course.
Original post by shotsboy123
It may have already been noted, but will this affect students who are starting in 2016?


Posted from TSR Mobile


Highly unlikely think its from sep 2017 as its too late for them to do anything.
Original post by chikane
Very true when i chose my degree i never thought of nursing as there wasn't much information or any talks about the course in sixth form and would not want to pay £9000 for 3 years to fund the course.


I knew I wanted to go into nursing but did my 2 year course as I didnt meet the requirements after almost failing some of my level 3 qualifications. I think it would help to get more information about healthcare careers to young people to help them make an informed decision.
They have kept what's going on with NHS students quiet. I've not heard anything and was only aware what was going on with non-NHS (ie, those just funded by SFE) students.
If the NHS bursary for tuition is scrapped then I think the NHS need to look at paying students whilst they are training. We all know you work your bottoms off for 50% of the time on placements, for nothing, I see it as a fair swap for funded tuition, but if the tuition is chargeable then they cannot realistically expect students to work for free on placement. Placement makes having a part time job impossible as it is.
Original post by OU Student
They have kept what's going on with NHS students quiet. I've not heard anything and was only aware what was going on with non-NHS (ie, those just funded by SFE) students.


They only just announced these changes this morning.
Original post by annaa2603
I'm absolutely devastated by this news. I'm a second year biology student and had my heart set on applying for the 2 year PGDIP nursing course. Now I'm having second thoughts. By the time I'm done with the PGDIP i'll have a racked up a debt of £45,000!


I m so sorry to hear that, I know its an awful decision to have to make but could you transfer onto the Bsc now and thereby avoid the changes or is it a case of you want to finish what you started with your biology degree?
This might clarify some questions we all have (they do say this isnt official information but the council of deans should have the most reliable info if any)
http://www.councilofdeans.org.uk/2015/11/the-2015-spending-review-changes-to-nursing-midwifery-and-ahp-education-background-information-for-students/
Original post by claireestelle
This might clarify some questions we all have (they do say this isnt official information but the council of deans should have the most reliable info if any)
http://www.councilofdeans.org.uk/2015/11/the-2015-spending-review-changes-to-nursing-midwifery-and-ahp-education-background-information-for-students/

That's good they will allow loans for students who already done a degree but i think they should increase the repayment from 21k to 23k for these courses.

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