NHS Wales Bursary Scheme

The bursary provides financial support for home UK students coming to study an eligible healthcare course in Wales.

There are two funding routes available to new students who plan to study a healthcare-related course.

Students can either be funded by the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme outlined below, or they can opt out of the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme and be funded by their normal student finance body.

Eligibility

The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme will be available for new students starting an eligible healthcare course between September 2024 and March 2025, subject to terms and conditions.

The scheme provides financial support for tuition fees and a contribution towards living costs for all eligible home UK students coming to study an eligible healthcare course in Wales. This is subject to new students committing in advance to work in the NHS in Wales for two years (degree students) or 18 months (diploma students) post-qualification.

EU students with settled or pre-settled status and Irish citizens (by the Common Travel Area arrangement) may also be eligible for the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, subject to making the commitment to work in the NHS in Wales post qualification.

The following courses are eligible under the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, subject to making the commitment to work in the NHS in Wales post qualification:

• Diagnostic Radiography and Imaging (BSc)
• Occupational Therapy (BSc)
• Nursing (BN)
• Midwifery (BMid)
• Radiotherapy and Oncology (BSc)
• Physiotherapy (BSc)
• Dental Therapy and Hygiene (BSc)
• Dental Hygiene (DipHE)

A student can choose not to make this work commitment and instead opt out of the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme.

More details about the advanced commitment to work in Wales post qualification can be found via the NHS Wales Student Awards Service. If you have specific queries about it, contact the NHS Wales Student Awards Service directly.

If you have previously studied an NHS-funded course then this can affect your access to the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme. Please contact the Student Funding and Advice team for guidance.

Once you start your course you have up to 10 weeks to change your mind and opt out of the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme to be solely funded by your student finance body. Please contact the Student Funding and Advice team for guidance.

Available funding

Please note, unless otherwise stated, the following figures for the NHS Grant and NHS Bursary are the 23/24 figures as confirmation of the 24/25 figures is pending.

The bursary scheme comprises four main elements of funding that cover tuition fees and support funding for living costs:

1. Tuition fee support
2. Non-income assessed NHS Grant
3. Income assessed NHS Bursary
4. A fixed-rate maintenance loan (from the relevant student finance body)

Tuition Fee Funding

The bursary scheme covers tuition fees and is non-income assessed, but you still need to apply for this as fees will not be covered automatically. Once your application is approved and you are registered on your course, this tuition fee funding will be paid directly to the University on your behalf. This funding is non-repayable.

Living Cost Funding

Cardiff is considered to be one of the most affordable UK cities to live in while you study. See our living cost calculator for the average cost of living in Cardiff as a full-time, undergraduate student.

Non-income assessed NHS Grant

You can apply for a non-means-tested NHS Grant of £1,000 per year to help with living costs. The NHS Grant is non-repayable and payment will be split into monthly instalments. Payment of the grant will be combined with any income-assessed NHS Bursary entitlement. Please allow up to 4 weeks after enrolment for your first instalment to be paid to you.

Income assessed NHS Bursary

The following table demonstrates examples of the NHS bursary available per year, depending on household income and where a student is living while they study.

The following NHS Wales Bursary rates are the 2023/24 per year amounts for students living away from their parental home:

If you live in your parental home while studying, the NHS Bursary available will be reduced.

Payment is made directly to you via monthly instalments. Payment of the bursary will be combined with your NHS Grant entitlement. Please allow up to 4 weeks after enrolment for your first instalment to be paid to you.

Extra Weeks Allowance

Many of our healthcare courses are longer than a standard course (30 weeks and 3 days) and so attract extra weeks of funding. This is offered in an ‘extra week allowance’, on top of your standard NHS Bursary for living costs. If you live away from home, this works out at £84 extra per week. (£56 if you are living with your parents)

You will be automatically assessed for extra weeks’ allowances and will see the breakdown of this amount on your NHS Student Awards Service online account after your application has been assessed. Extra weeks of attendance for each course can vary from year to year. They are means-tested on household income.

Additional funding via the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme

Depending on your circumstances there may be additional funding available to you. For example, if you have a disability, or if you have children or an adult dependent. For more information please visit NHS Wales Student Awards Service.

Student Maintenance Loan for living costs

As part of the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, eligible students may also apply for a repayable maintenance loan via their home UK country's student finance body. This loan is not income assessed.

The table below shows the maximum available figures for the 2024/25 academic year:

Any maintenance loan entitlement is paid directly to students, normally in three instalments; one at the start of each term. The first instalment is normally released within 3-5 working days after enrolment is completed. Therefore it is important to arrive at the university with funding for at least two weeks available to you.

If you live in your parental home while studying the loan available will be reduced.

If you are ordinarily resident in Scotland or Northern Ireland, contact the Student Funding and Advice team for more information.

Those who take a student maintenance loan will repay this under the normal terms and conditions of their funding body.

Household income

The income that is assessed by the NHS Wales Student Awards Service and your student finance body is either the taxable income of parents or a spouse/partner depending on your circumstances. Your earnings before the course and if you work while studying are not assessed.

If you are single the income of your parents is not assessed if:

• you have children or
• your are estranged from your parents or
• you can demonstrate that you have supported yourself financially for 3 years before the course

Lone parent students usually qualify for the maximum NHS bursary.

How to apply

If you want to access all four elements of the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme then you need to apply to both the NHS Wales Student Awards Service and your student finance body.

You can apply for NHS tuition fee funding, NHS Grant and NHS Bursary on the NHS Wales Student Awards Service website once you have accepted an offer of a place to study at Cardiff University.

The NHS Wales Student Awards Service has produced its own step-by-step guide to applying for funding from them.

Wherever you are from in the UK, if you want to access the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme then you must apply via the NHS Wales Student Awards Service.

To apply for the student maintenance loan you need to apply to the funding body dependent on where you are ordinarily resident before the start of your course:

If you are ordinarily resident in Scotland or Northern Ireland, contact the Student Funding and Advice team for more information.