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Leeds Bursary for NHS-funded students

If you're a UK student on an undergraduate Medicine or Dentistry course and you're about to enter your first NHS-funded year (typically from Year 5 onwards), you may still be eligible for the Leeds Bursary alongside your NHS support.

What we need to assess your entitlement

To work out what you would be entitled to from the Leeds Bursary, we will need a household income assessment from your financial awarding body:

  • Student Finance England
  • Student Finance Wales
  • Student Awards Agency for Scotland
  • Student Finance Northern Ireland. 

In an NHS-funded year, these awarding bodies usually don’t carry out income assessments, because they’re not needed for the funding they provide, but we do need this information to calculate your bursary entitlement and it may mean you need to get a new household income assessment, depending on your circumstances.

Check if you need a new household income assessment

If you have an assessment from the previous (non-NHS-funded) year

If you were financially assessed last year, we can use that information.

  1. If you got the full Leeds Bursary last year, you’ll get the full amount again during your NHS-funded year, so you don’t need to do anything.
  2. If you didn’t get the full amount, but your household income has gone down, it’s a good idea to ask for a new income assessment as you might get more Leeds Bursary this year.

If you don’t have an assessment from the previous (non-NHS-funded) year

If you weren’t assessed before, you’ll need to apply for a new household income assessment.

Applying for a new household income assessment

It can take up to six weeks for your financial awarding body to complete the process. Once they’ve finished, they’ll send the result to us securely and we’ll confirm your updated Leeds Bursary entitlement.

Find out how to request a household income assessment on your awarding body's website.

Student Finance England (SFE)

  • Complete and return an “Applying for student finance based on household income form” to Student Finance England. You can download the household income assessment request form (PDF) for 2023/24 or 2024/25.
  • You should also include a covering letter (including your SFE Customer Reference Number) saying that you are requesting a household income assessment in order for your University to determine your eligibility for a Higher Education Bursary. See an example covering letter.
  • Unless you are an independent student, your parent(s) or partner should also return a completed PFF2 form (PDF) to Student Finance England for 2023/24 or 2024/25.

Student Finance Wales (SFW)

  • Return a completed PFF2 form to SFW. 
  • You should include a covering letter (including your SFW Customer Reference Number) saying that you are requesting a household income assessment in order for your University to determine your eligibility for a Higher Education Bursary. See an example covering letter.

Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)

Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI)

  • Return a completed PFF2 form to Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI). You can find this form on the SFNI website.
  • You should include a covering letter (including your SFNI Customer Reference Number) saying that you are requesting a household income assessment in order for your University to determine your eligibility for a Higher Education Bursary. See an example covering letter.

Example covering letter

Dear Student Finance [England/Wales/Northern Ireland – delete as appropriate]

Re: [Your Name] 

Customer Reference Number: [Your 11-digit customer reference number]

I am writing to request a household income assessment in order that my host university may be able to determine my eligibility for a Higher Education bursary.  
I am enclosing the required form(s). 

Please contact me if you require any further information. 

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]

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