MA social work

2

I'm a little confused about funding for the Masters in Social Work. I believe that you can apply for both the postgraduate loan from student finance England and the NHS learning support fund. Is there any other funding available ? It says online that 'Students on pre-registration healthcare courses may be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loans through the undergraduate student finance system'. Is this correct and if so, how would I apply for this ? Thankyou

Reply 1

LSBU

Official Rep

11

Original post

by _calsx

I'm a little confused about funding for the Masters in Social Work. I believe that you can apply for both the postgraduate loan from student finance England and the NHS learning support fund. Is there any other funding available ? It says online that 'Students on pre-registration healthcare courses may be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loans through the undergraduate student finance system'. Is this correct and if so, how would I apply for this ? Thankyou

Hi! Yes, you're right, for a Master’s in Social Work in England, you can apply for either the Postgraduate Master’s Loan from Student Finance England or the NHS Social Work Bursary (SWB). You can’t usually get both in full if you’re awarded the bursary, you’re not eligible for the postgraduate loan (unless it’s just the travel allowance part of the bursary).
The NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) doesn’t apply to social work students; it’s only for courses like nursing or physiotherapy.
It’s also worth checking with the university, as some offer additional bursaries or scholarships, and if you have a disability or long-term condition, you might be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) as well. You can also contact Student Finance to confirm with them on 0300 100 0607
Tosin (Student Ambassador LSBU)

Reply 2

Kingston Lily

6

Original post

by _calsx

I'm a little confused about funding for the Masters in Social Work. I believe that you can apply for both the postgraduate loan from student finance England and the NHS learning support fund. Is there any other funding available ? It says online that 'Students on pre-registration healthcare courses may be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loans through the undergraduate student finance system'. Is this correct and if so, how would I apply for this ? Thankyou

Hi @_calsx

As Tosin mentioned, it is one or the other, either the NHS Social Work bursary OR the postgraduate loan. Some students may decline the bursary if it doesn't cover their expenses, and go for the loan instead.
Furthermore, being eligible for the bursary is not the only requirement in order to be accepted and receive it. Every year, universities are allocated a certain number of bursaries, meaning they go through a process of nominating students for the bursary.
You can find more information about the NHS Social Work bursary in this Guide to the Social Work Bursary 2025-26 | nhsbsa.nhs.uk

I hope this helps 🙂
-Lily (Kingston Rep)

MA social work

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