Comparing funding for healthcare courses in England, Scotland and Wales
When deciding where to study nursing, midwifery, paramedic science or an Allied Health Profession course, you need to give some thought to the impact of location on your finances.
Funding is a little more complicated for healthcare courses due to the additional options available from the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) and NHS Wales. It's important to note:
The following table summarises the funding available to applicants based on where they live and where they are going to study.
* Amount is assessed according to household income
^ PNSMB (The Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary) is only available to students who are eligible for funding from SAAS and who study in Scotland. It does not need to be paid back and is not based on household income.
I live in England but want to study at a university in Wales - should I take the NHS Wales Bursary?
Although it is an attractive proposition to have your tuition fees paid, the reality is that you might struggle to pay for accommodation and living costs if you choose the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme. The following is based on 2024-25 figures as all 2025-26 figures are not available yet:
The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme provides the following support each year:
In summary, the maximum you could get to cover your living costs is £6,313 per year. This might cover accommodation costs but not much else.
An alternative is to opt out of the bursary scheme and apply to SFE for the tuition fee and maintenance loans. Depending on household income, you could get a maintenance loan of between £4,767 and £10,227 (outside London, living away from home amounts). You would not be able to apply to the NHS LSF for the training grant and additional benefits.
If you study at a uni in England, you would receive your maintenance loan plus the annual training grant of £5,000 (or £6,000 depending on subject) from the NHS LSF.
Useful links
The NHS Learning Support Fund
NHS Wales Student Awards Service
SFW loan amounts
SAAS Paramedic, nursing and midwifery funding
SAAS Allied Health Profession funding
Funding is a little more complicated for healthcare courses due to the additional options available from the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) and NHS Wales. It's important to note:
•
The NHS LSF is only available if you study at a university in England.
•
The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme is an option if you study at a university in Wales in return for committing to work for the NHS in Wales for two years when you graduate.
The following table summarises the funding available to applicants based on where they live and where they are going to study.
* Amount is assessed according to household income
^ PNSMB (The Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary) is only available to students who are eligible for funding from SAAS and who study in Scotland. It does not need to be paid back and is not based on household income.
I live in England but want to study at a university in Wales - should I take the NHS Wales Bursary?
Although it is an attractive proposition to have your tuition fees paid, the reality is that you might struggle to pay for accommodation and living costs if you choose the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme. The following is based on 2024-25 figures as all 2025-26 figures are not available yet:
The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme provides the following support each year:
•
payment of tuition fees
•
non-income assessed grant of £1,000
•
income-assessed bursary of up to a maximum of £2,643 (but falls to £0 if household income is above £50,000 per year)
•
students may also apply to their funding body for a maintenance loan. Only a reduced maintenance loan is available from SFE of £2,670 (by comparison Welsh students can get up to £11,150).
In summary, the maximum you could get to cover your living costs is £6,313 per year. This might cover accommodation costs but not much else.
An alternative is to opt out of the bursary scheme and apply to SFE for the tuition fee and maintenance loans. Depending on household income, you could get a maintenance loan of between £4,767 and £10,227 (outside London, living away from home amounts). You would not be able to apply to the NHS LSF for the training grant and additional benefits.
If you study at a uni in England, you would receive your maintenance loan plus the annual training grant of £5,000 (or £6,000 depending on subject) from the NHS LSF.
Useful links
The NHS Learning Support Fund
NHS Wales Student Awards Service
SFW loan amounts
SAAS Paramedic, nursing and midwifery funding
SAAS Allied Health Profession funding
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by normaw
When deciding where to study nursing, midwifery, paramedic science or an Allied Health Profession course, you need to give some thought to the impact of location on your finances.
Funding is a little more complicated for healthcare courses due to the additional options available from the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) and NHS Wales. It's important to note:
The following table summarises the funding available to applicants based on where they live and where they are going to study.
* Amount is assessed according to household income
^ PNSMB (The Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary) is only available to students who are eligible for funding from SAAS and who study in Scotland. It does not need to be paid back and is not based on household income.
I live in England but want to study at a university in Wales - should I take the NHS Wales Bursary?
Although it is an attractive proposition to have your tuition fees paid, the reality is that you might struggle to pay for accommodation and living costs if you choose the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme. The following is based on 2024-25 figures as all 2025-26 figures are not available yet:
The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme provides the following support each year:
In summary, the maximum you could get to cover your living costs is £6,313 per year. This might cover accommodation costs but not much else.
An alternative is to opt out of the bursary scheme and apply to SFE for the tuition fee and maintenance loans. Depending on household income, you could get a maintenance loan of between £4,767 and £10,227 (outside London, living away from home amounts). You would not be able to apply to the NHS LSF for the training grant and additional benefits.
If you study at a uni in England, you would receive your maintenance loan plus the annual training grant of £5,000 (or £6,000 depending on subject) from the NHS LSF.
Useful links
The NHS Learning Support Fund
NHS Wales Student Awards Service
SFW loan amounts
SAAS Paramedic, nursing and midwifery funding
SAAS Allied Health Profession funding
Funding is a little more complicated for healthcare courses due to the additional options available from the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) and NHS Wales. It's important to note:
•
The NHS LSF is only available if you study at a university in England.
•
The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme is an option if you study at a university in Wales in return for committing to work for the NHS in Wales for two years when you graduate.
The following table summarises the funding available to applicants based on where they live and where they are going to study.
* Amount is assessed according to household income
^ PNSMB (The Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary) is only available to students who are eligible for funding from SAAS and who study in Scotland. It does not need to be paid back and is not based on household income.
I live in England but want to study at a university in Wales - should I take the NHS Wales Bursary?
Although it is an attractive proposition to have your tuition fees paid, the reality is that you might struggle to pay for accommodation and living costs if you choose the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme. The following is based on 2024-25 figures as all 2025-26 figures are not available yet:
The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme provides the following support each year:
•
payment of tuition fees
•
non-income assessed grant of £1,000
•
income-assessed bursary of up to a maximum of £2,643 (but falls to £0 if household income is above £50,000 per year)
•
students may also apply to their funding body for a maintenance loan. Only a reduced maintenance loan is available from SFE of £2,670 (by comparison Welsh students can get up to £11,150).
In summary, the maximum you could get to cover your living costs is £6,313 per year. This might cover accommodation costs but not much else.
An alternative is to opt out of the bursary scheme and apply to SFE for the tuition fee and maintenance loans. Depending on household income, you could get a maintenance loan of between £4,767 and £10,227 (outside London, living away from home amounts). You would not be able to apply to the NHS LSF for the training grant and additional benefits.
If you study at a uni in England, you would receive your maintenance loan plus the annual training grant of £5,000 (or £6,000 depending on subject) from the NHS LSF.
Useful links
The NHS Learning Support Fund
NHS Wales Student Awards Service
SFW loan amounts
SAAS Paramedic, nursing and midwifery funding
SAAS Allied Health Profession funding
Thank you for this. Really disappointed and totally unaware that the £5k grant wasn’t available if you study in Wales.
Original post by saju21
Thank you for this. Really disappointed and totally unaware that the £5k grant wasn’t available if you study in Wales.
That's why I've made the thread - a lot of students aren't aware and opt for the Welsh bursary then struggle to pay for living costs.
(edited 1 month ago)
I did go to Cardiffs finance talk so was aware of the downside of opting for Welsh funding but somehow the ‘no £5k’ I missed - and it’s unfair to students who live in the SW as Cardiff/ Swansea are real study options - otherwise we only have Bristol Exeter Plymouth and they don’t have every course. NHS England still benefits from English graduates working in England irrespective of where they study.
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