University of Birmingham - Nursing and Physiotherapy programmes 

What the NHS Training Grant gives you

You will receive a Training Grant of about 5,900 EUR per academic year (£5,000) if you are studying nursing, physiotherapy or another eligible healthcare degree in England. This amount is paid in addition to any student loans. It is not affected by your parents’ or your own income. You must reapply for this grant each academic year. For certain degree programmes, you will also receive an additional 1,000 EUR per year (approximately 1,170 EUR): psychiatric nursing, nursing for people with learning disabilities, diagnostic and therapeutic radiology, prosthetics and orthotics, orthoptics and podiatry. If you have at least one dependent child under the age of 15 (under 17 if they have a registered special educational need), you can add 2,000 EUR per year (approximately 2,300 EUR) as a parental allowance. The scheme is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority.

Who can apply

• Course: You are undertaking a recognised training programme in the healthcare sector that entitles you to pre-registration, such as nursing, physiotherapy, midwifery, occupational therapy, paramedicine, radiology, nutritional science or speech and language therapy. Foundation years are not counted towards this.
• Where you study: You’re studying at a university in England.
• Actively studying: You are currently at school or on a work placement.
• Student finance link: You are eligible for study and living cost grants from the Student Loans Company (Student Finance England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland). If you have not applied for a loan, you must provide evidence that you continue to meet these criteria.
• No NHS Bursary: You will not receive the separate NHS scholarship (which is awarded from the fifth year of study for medicine and dentistry).
• Nationality: There are no specific rules regarding nationality. Your eligibility is determined by the provisions governing student finance for the relevant region in the United Kingdom.

How to apply

Open an account online with the NHS Learning Support Fund and apply for the education grant at the start of each academic year. Submit your application within six months of the start of your academic year. Upload either your letter of approval for student finance or, if you have not been awarded a loan, a form of identification such as a passport or driving licence.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not an award granted following a selection process. The training grant is a lump-sum payment for every student who meets the criteria; it is therefore not means-tested and there is no selection panel. If you are studying an eligible healthcare degree in England and are entitled to student finance, you will receive the grant. Simply apply for it within the annual six-month period.