Eligibility and how to apply

Find out about eligibility for NHS funding, undergraduate and postgraduate loans from the Student Loans Company, as well as how to apply.

Student Loans Company funding

Students studying Medicine or Dentistry in YRS 1 - 4 can apply for support from the Student Loans Company.  Find further information about the relevant funding authorities where you should apply.

NHS Bursary funding

Medics and Dentists with a 'home' status who usually live in England may be eligible to apply to the NHS for funding support in their 5th and subsequent years of study. 

Residency

If you live in England and will be studying in England, the NHS Bursary will assess you and, if you qualify, will pay you a bursary. Discover further information about the NHS residence eligibility. 

In addition to 'home' students who normally live in England, the University also notifies NHS Wales about Medics and Dentists in their 5th year of study. Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all have their separate processes for dealing with Medics and Dentists in their 5th year of study. If you live in a UK country outside of England and wish to study in England, you should contact the relevant funding Authority in your home country.

If you normally lived in Europe before your course began, you can apply to your own country for funding, or apply to a UK funding body (e.g. Student Loans Company or the NHS Bursary), but you would need to meet their eligibility criteria and you may receive fees support only.

Find out how your eligibility is affected by the country you study or live in.

Student status criteria

The funding you can get will depend on being financially assessed, or not,  and whether you are classed as a dependent student.  

5th year of study of Medicine or Dentistry

You must be entering your 5th year of study to be eligible to apply and below are two typical examples as to when the 5th year of study occurs:

Studying at an eligible level

The NHS will contribute to fees and living costs for both undergraduate and postgraduate level medics and dentists,  but not at postgraduate PhD Level.

Please note that where students are intercalating, and they are doing so at postgraduate level, the NHS fees bursary is a contribution only and postgraduate students will need to pay the cost of the top up fees themselves.

First professional registration

You are a pre-registration student of one of the healthcare professions who has not previously been registered in that healthcare profession.

How to apply for the NHS Bursary

The NHS Student Business Service Authority has an online application system for NHS Bursary students. You can access this through their website:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-bursary-students

Around June time, the Funding team will email you to let you know that as a 'home' student who normally lives in England, we are anticipating you going into your 5th year of study.  We will email instructions telling you how to apply for an NHS Bursary. 

The University will advise the NHS of details of all dental and medical students whom we expect will be eligible to apply for NHS funding for the forthcoming academic year (in this case 2024/25). 

You will then need to create an online account with the NHS. Once you have done this, you can then submit an application for the bursary.

Applications are not complete until the online application has been ‘Submitted’, and all your supporting evidence has been sent.

Postgraduate funding for Medicine and Dentistry students from the Student Loans Company

For  Medics and Dentists intercalating at postgraduate level in the first four years of study, find out further information about postgraduate loans. 

(If you are intercalating in your 5th year of study and you meet the criteria, you would be able to apply to the NHS for a contribution towards funding).