NHS and PGCE Funding

If you are undertaking the five-year medicine course as a first degree, you may be eligible to apply for NHS funding from the fifth year of your course. You'll receive the standard funding from Student Finance England in years 1-4.

If you are undertaking the accelerated four-year course, you may be eligible to apply for NHS funding in Years 2, 3 and 4 alongside funding from Student Finance England.

The main NHS funding package usually consists of:

• full fee payment by the NHS
• an income assessed NHS bursary, which is non-repayable and helps you to cover your living costs
• a non-income assessed Living Costs Grant from the NHS
• if you are eligible for NHS funding, you will only be able to apply for a reduced rate, non-income assessed student loan from the Student Loans Company.

The NHS Bursary Scheme only provide bursaries for students who are ordinarily resident in England on the first day of the course, and who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for three years prior to the start of the course.

How to apply

You can apply online for your NHS funding.

If you want to apply for a reduced rate non-income assessed loan from the Student Finance England, you will need to make a separate application through your SFE account.

Payment

As a student, you'll receive an NHS Bursary directly, on a monthly basis. The NHS pay tuition fees directly to the University.

Additional support

You may also be able to apply for additional allowances, such as:

• help with childcare costs
• disabled students allowances
• practice placement expenses

Change of circumstances

If you experience a change in your circumstances, you must notify the NHS Student Grants Unit as soon as possible, as this may affect your eligibility for an NHS Bursary.

The funding you will receive during your intercalating year depends on when you intercalate and the qualification you will study.

Intercalating into...

... an UG programme after your Stage 2 (so your intercalation is your year 3 of study)

Fees: SFE loan

Living costs: SFE Maintenance Loan as in your Stage 1 and 2. Plus you will continue to receive the Opportunity Scholarship if you meet the income requirements

... a PG programme after your Stage 3 (so your intercalation is your year 4 of study)

You will only receive a SFE Postgraduate Master's Loan of £12,471 (2024/25 rate). You can use that money as a contribution towards your fees and living expenses but this will not be enough to cover both fees and living expenses. You will not receive the Opportunity Scholarship.

... a PG programme after your Stage 4 (so your intercalation is your year 5 of study)

Fees: NHS Grant up to £9,535 only

Living costs: No SFE funding this year. NHS Bursary (income-assessed, up to £2,780 (25/26 rate) if studying outside of London and living away from home) and £1,052 NHS Grant (non- income assessed). You will not receive the Opportunity Scholarship.

Please remember that if you intercalate into a PG programme, you will not be able to get a PG Master's Loan in the future even if you did not get a PG Master's Loan during your intercalation.

The funding arrangements for Medicine as a second degree are quite different from first degree study.

Accelerated Medicine course as a second degree (four years)

A four-year course that is better funded than the normal five-year Medicine course as second degree.

• Year 1

Fees: Self-finance the first £3,830 and apply for a Student Finance England loan to cover the rest (£5,705, 25/26). You can also get supplementary grants.

Living costs: Student Finance England maintenance loan

• Years 2, 3 and 4

Fees: NHS pays £3,830 (25/26 rate) and apply for a SFE loan to cover the rest (£5,705, 25/26)

Living costs: SFE loan non-income assessed of £2,753 ('elsewhere' 25/26) for years 2-3 and £2,146 in final year ('elsewhere' 25/26 rate). Alongside it you can get a NHS Bursary income- assessed of up to £2,780 (2025/26 rate studying outside of London) and an NHS Grant of £1,052 (non-income assessed). Plus, supplementary grants.

Medicine course as a second degree (5 years)

The normal-duration Medicine course as a second degree attracts a lower level of funding compared to the Accelerated version.

• Years 1, 2, 3 and 4

Fees: Self-finance fees (no funding available from SFE or the NHS)

Living costs: SFE maintenance loan, and supplementary grants.

• Year 5

Fees: NHS covers the fees through a grant (£9,535)

Living costs: SFE loan of £2,146 (25/26 rate, non-income assessed). Alongside it, you can get a NHS Bursary income-assessed of up to £2,780 (2025/26 rate studying outside of London and living away from home) and a NHS Grant of £1,052 (non-income assessed). Plus, supplementary grants.

If you are undertaking the five-year dentistry course as a first degree, you may be eligible to apply for NHS funding from the fifth year of your course. You'll receive funding from Student Finance England (or equivalent body) in years 1-4.

How to apply

You can apply online for your NHS funding.

If you want to apply for a reduced rate non-income assessed loan from the Student Loans Company, you will need to make a separate application to your assessment authority.

Payment

As a student, you'll receive an NHS Bursary directly, on a monthly basis. The NHS pay tuition fees directly to the University.

Additional support

You may also be able to apply for additional allowances, such as:

• help with childcare costs
• disabled students allowances
• practice placement expenses

Change of circumstance

If you experience a change in your circumstances, you must notify the NHS Student Grants Unit as soon as possible, as this may affect your eligibility for an NHS Bursary.

You may be eligible for a £5,000 NHS Learning Support Fund grant on top of the funding you receive from Student Finance England for Allied Health Profession courses either at undergraduate or postgraduate level:

• Two undergraduate Speech courses (B62M and B621)
• Dietetics (B401)
• Postgraduate MSc Language Pathology course (5104)

Extra financial support may be available from the NHS depending on your individual circumstances.

Please always confirm that your course qualifies for the NHS Learning Support Fund before you start your studies

The Department for Education offer tax-free bursaries and scholarships to students undertaking a PGCE. You must be entitled to support under the Student Finance England (or equivalent assessment authority) criteria. The amount of bursary available will depend on teaching subject and UK degree (or equivalent) class. You'll receive your bursary payment on a monthly basis during the course.

If you're on the Employer Based PGCE or salaried version of the School Direct PGCE, you will not be eligible for any of the funding through the Department for Education or through Student Finance England (or equivalent).

Teaching bursary rates are on the Get into Teaching website.

For more information about becoming a teacher, call the Teaching Line on 0800 389 2500 or visit the Department for Education's Get into Teaching website.

Tuition Fee and Maintenance Loans

Find out more about tuition fees and maintenance loans on the Get into Teaching website.

Grants are available for students with childcare and caring responsibilities or if a student incurs extra costs as a direct result of a disability or specific learning difficulty.

If you're from England, you should apply for a tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and other help from Student Finance England.

If you're from Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales and want to apply for a maintenance loan, tuition fee loan and grants, you should apply to your own assessment authority.