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Grants of at least £5,000 are available for eligible healthcare students.

We are pleased to confirm that eligible students can now apply for additional funding from the NHS Learning Support Fund. Please read this information together with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Student Services guide fully before you make an application.

You can find more information on the NHSBSA Student Services website and the latest updates on their social media channels:

  • Facebook: /LearningSupportFund
  • Twitter: @NHSBSA_LSF

What is the NHS Learning Support Fund?

The NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) is available to eligible students studying a variety of nursing, midwifery and allied health courses at a university in England. At City, this applies to the following courses:

  • BSc Radiography (Diagnostic Imaging)
  • BSc Radiography (Radiotherapy and Oncology)
  • BSc Speech and Language Therapy
  • MSc Speech and Language Therapy
  • BSc Adult Nursing
  • BSc Children’s Nursing
  • BSc Mental Health Nursing
  • BSc Midwifery
  • MSc Adult Nursing (pre-registration)
  • MSc Children’s Nursing (pre-registration)
  • MSc Mental Health Nursing (pre-registration)
  • MSc Adult and Mental Health Nursing (pre-registration).

NHS LSF is made up of the following elements:

  • Training Grant: a non-means tested grant of £5,000 each academic year
  • Specialist subject payment: an additional £1,000 will be added to your account if you’re studying one of the following courses
    • BSc Mental Health Nursing
    • BSc Radiography (Diagnostic Imaging)
    • BSc Radiography (Radiotherapy and Oncology).
  • Regional incentive: we are awaiting the announcement of further details.

Both the specialist subject payment and regional incentive are only available for new students starting their course from September 2020. The basic £5,000 training grant is available to all eligible students.

Parental Support: formerly known as Child Dependants Allowance, you can apply for £2,000 each academic year if you have parental responsibility for a child under 15 years old, or under 17 years if they’re registered with special educational needs. This is a set amount and is per student, not per child.

Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE): you can claim reimbursement of any additional travel and temporary accommodation costs incurred as part of attending your practice placements.

Exceptional Support Fund (ESF): a grant of up to £3,000 each academic year for students who find themselves in unforeseen financial hardship.

Am I eligible to apply?

To be eligible for NHS LSF you must be in receipt of, or at least eligible for, the full tuition fee and maintenance loan package from the Student Loan Company. If you are eligible but have chosen to not take out the full loan, you will be asked for some extra details when you apply for NHS LSF. You will also be studying at a university in England and be in attendance at a specified date, this will depend on when you started your course.

How do I apply?

If you are a new student starting your first year in September 2020 (and beyond), you will need to create an account on the new NHS LSF application system. When creating your account, please have the following details with you:

  • Your student finance confirmation letter: you will need to upload this to your account as proof of eligibility. If you are eligible for student finance but have decided not to claim the full package, there is an option for you and you will be asked a series of additional questions to check your eligibility. Please have proof of identity with you, for example a passport.
  • Your bank details: you will need to add this so you can be paid by NHSBSA Student Services. If you change bank accounts at any stage, you will be able to update your details. It’s really important you keep these details up to date.
  • Child’s birth certificate: if you are applying for Parental Support at the same time as applying for the Training Grant, you will need a copy of your child’s birth certificate to upload to your account. If you have more than one child, we suggest uploading your youngest child’s birth certificate.

If you are a continuing student who is resuming study from 1 September 2020 you will need to create a new account on the new application system above.

If however, you will be continuing your studies in say January, February 2021 or later . you should continue to use your existing LSF account until you start your next full academic year. If at this stage you have any outstanding TDAE claims for the 2019/20 academic year, you will need to put these through your old account.