The NHS Business Services Authority - Social Work Bursary

Benefit

Whilst you are training to become a social worker in England, you will receive a grant towards your living costs. You do not have to repay this. For undergraduate students in 2025/2026, the flat-rate allowance (which is the same for everyone and does not depend on income) is £5,262.50 per year (about 5,490 EUR) if you are studying in London, and £4,862.50 per year (about 5,100 EUR) outside London. Both amounts include a contribution of £862.50 towards travel costs to your placement locations for full-time students. Part-time students receive a lower amount, which is based on the number of hours they work.

Postgraduate students You will receive a lower flat-rate grant, an additional income-related grant, and up to £4,052 per year to cover your tuition fees. You may also be eligible for additional funding for adult dependants, childcare, studying as a parent, or if you have a disability. The NHS Business Services Authority pays the grant. It is awarded for the duration of your studies, and you must reapply for it each year.

Who can apply

• Course: You are undertaking a higher education programme in social work which leads to your initial registration as a social worker. This programme must be recognised by Social Work England, the Scottish Social Service Council, Social Care Wales or the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.
• Study year: As a bachelor’s degree student, you can only apply from your second year onwards. Student Finance England covers the costs for your first year of study.
• Where you live: You normally live in England and are resident in England on the first day of your first year of study.
• Residence history: You will normally have lived in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 3 years before starting your degree programme.
• Not already qualified: You are not yet a registered social worker.
• No double funding: Your degree programme is not work-related and is not a combined degree programme in nursing and social work. Apart from Student Finance England, neither an employer nor any other public body will pay your tuition fees or fund your degree programme.

How to apply

You apply online through a MyFunding account. The first time, you send proof of identity and residence. Your university holds a limited number of full bursary places and decides who gets nominated. Even without one of these places, you can still claim the placement travel money. When you can apply depends on when your academic year starts. For years beginning between September and December 2026, the window is 1 April to 31 October 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

The scholarship is aimed exclusively at social work students living in England, so the pool of applicants is small. However, each university limits the number of places, and not everyone who meets the criteria will be nominated. If you clearly meet the study and residence requirements, your university’s decision on whether to nominate you will be the deciding factor; you should therefore enquire at an early stage about how places are allocated. Please note that the government is currently reviewing the programme, so the amounts and rules may change.