Mature student interested in mental health nursing

Hi everyone,
just looking for some help. I currently work at a mental health hospital as a substantive HCA . I am 40 years old and have decided to take a leap and start my degree in mental health nursing. I have applied through clearing and am awaiting to see if i have a place.
What I would like to know is as I have a family and a mortgage I am concerned about the financial side of things. I already have a degree that I did when I was younger so I am unsure if I would recieve funding for my tuition fees, also do you still get a bursary? is there anything else available for support?
I have contacted the trust I work for to see if there is anything they do to help but i am awaiting a response.
thanks in advance.

The bursary that you're probably thinking of - ie tuition fees and maintenance bursary, all NHS paid for - no longer exists. You now have to take out tuition and maintenance loans, however you'll be pleased to know that nursing is on the exemption course list so you still get funding regardless of what student finance you've already had. There's then also this https://www.nurses.co.uk/nursing/blog/how-the-new-nursing-bursary-works/

Nursing is an exception course which means even if you've had all the previous student loans you can get them again. Then there is. £5000 annual bursary for nursing plus and additional £1000 for mental health. Its worth seeing if you can find any other grants and bursaries from elsewhere- have a google and see what you find.

When I've looked into it I've found that although the total sounds a lot less than my annual salary, once you factor in all the stuff that comes out of your salary (tax, national insurance, pension etc) the take home pay isn't that much more. Plus you can always get yourself on the books for bank shifts for when you think you can fit it in.

Good luck!

thank you ! I am planning on staying on the bank too as I already do extra shifts on there. I’m just on edge wait to see if they offer me a place 🤞
Have you done mental health nursing?

No not yet. I'm planning on applying this year so I've been researching to make sure we can afford for me to leave work. Its scary taking that step.

Your other option is to see if anywhere near you is doing apprenticeships but i don't know much about that as I've yet to see one in my trust.

Sounds like we are in the same boat. I’m scared too but I’m thinking I want to do it so much I’m just going to take the leap. Hope you can too!
I’ve heard about apprenticeships through the grapevine but never anything concrete on how you apply. I have emailed my trust to ask if they are a thing and how they work. I am guessing it’s training on the job? Have you heard anything on how they work?

I am starting my Adult Nursing degree in September. It's my second degree and got my student finance/ maintenance loan sorted and my learning support fund is approved as well. I am switching over to doing bank staff HCA at my local hospital so can still work part time around uni/placements and my family. I think it will be a really hard 3 years but worth it. Good luck!

That’s great to hear ! Good luck to you too, I think it will be really hard but so rewarding I can’t wait to get started! I’ve been told I have a place pending an interview so fingers crossed! . Anyone got any interview tips?

I am starting my Adult Nursing degree in September. It's my second degree and got my student finance/ maintenance loan sorted and my learning support fund is approved as well. I am switching over to doing bank staff HCA at my local hospital so can still work part time around uni/placements and my family. I think it will be a really hard 3 years but worth it. Good luck!

Hi everyone,
just looking for some help. I currently work at a mental health hospital as a substantive HCA . I am 40 years old and have decided to take a leap and start my degree in mental health nursing. I have applied through clearing and am awaiting to see if i have a place.
What I would like to know is as I have a family and a mortgage I am concerned about the financial side of things. I already have a degree that I did when I was younger so I am unsure if I would recieve funding for my tuition fees, also do you still get a bursary? is there anything else available for support?
I have contacted the trust I work for to see if there is anything they do to help but i am awaiting a response.
thanks in advance.

That sounds good . How long did it take them to tell you after your interview?

Sorry to jump on this thread! But just wondering when you applied for the learning support fund/when it got approved? I applied start of June (not the 1st though a few days later so I’m guessing there are a lot of applications ahead of mine!) and still pending approval 😣. It’s starting to make me anxious! I’m a mature student doing my second degree in nursing too and from what I can see I meet all of the criteria so. They can’t give a timescale for it apparently, but just wondering how long others waited!