NHS Business Services Authority - Social Work Bursary

Benefit

In England, students receive £4,862.50 per academic year (about 5,650 EUR), or £5,262.50 (about 6,100 EUR) if their university is in London. These are the rates 2025 to 2026. The grant is a sum of money that you do not have to pay back. It is not means-tested. It covers £862.50 (approximately 1,000 EUR) towards travel costs to your work placements, i.e. the practical placements in social care that form part of your degree programme. Part-time students receive a reduced amount.

Postgraduates in England receive £3,362.50 (about 3,900 EUR), or £3,762.50 (about 4,350 EUR) in London. On top comes an income-based grant of up to £2,721 (about 3,150 EUR), or up to £4,201 (about 4,870 EUR) in London. Undergraduates still pay their own tuition fees and can take a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England.

Wales has its own system. Undergraduate students there receive £3,750 per year (approximately 4,350 EUR). Master’s students receive £12,715 per year (approximately 14,750 EUR) for 2 years and use this amount primarily to pay their tuition fees. Students in Wales also receive a grant to cover the costs of work placements.

In England, the grant is funded by the government and administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). In Wales, the programme is run by Social Care Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government.

Eligibility

• Course: You are studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in social work at a university, which will lead to your initial registration as a social worker.
• Where you live: To be eligible for the English scholarship, you must live in England and have lived in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 3 years before starting your studies. To be eligible for the Welsh scholarship, you must live in Wales and be studying at a Welsh university.
• Year of study (England): Undergraduates can apply from year 2 onwards. Student Finance England covers year 1.
• Nomination: Your university is nominating you for one of its limited study places. In England, however, if you meet the requirements but do not secure a study place, you will still receive the £862.50 travel allowance.
• Other funding: No employer will pay for your studies or cover your tuition fees. In England, no other public body funds your course apart from ‘Student Finance England’.
• Who is excluded: You cannot apply if you are already a registered social worker, or if you are on an employment-based course or a joint nursing and social work course.

How to apply

First, your university will put you forward. You then apply online. In England, applications are made via the NHSBSA. For courses starting in the autumn of 2026, the application period runs from 1 April to 31 October 2026. In Wales, you apply via Social Care Wales. In both countries, you must reapply every year.

How realistic are your chances?

Wales offers more than 200 scholarships for social work, spread across the various degree programmes.

Our guide Scholarships in the United Kingdom lists further funding options you might consider alongside the Social Work Bursary.