Studying in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Guernsey

Student funding arrangements vary across the UK. Your eligibility for funding is determined by your usual place of residence, not your place of study.

If you are living in England and want to study in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you will have access to the same student loans system as if you were studying in England. This is the same as the system for other university courses. You can find out more in our UK funding table showing tuition fees and financial support across the home nations or via the gov.uk website.

Scotland

Scotland does not have any tuition fees. Nursing and midwifery students in Scotland are funded under a different system to allied health profession students.

Funding for nursing and midwifery students

Scottish-resident students studying nursing or midwifery in Scotland are eligible for the Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary Scheme (NMSB), administrated by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). Degree, honours and masters’ level study leading to registration as a nurse or midwife are eligible. This financial support covers the cost of tuition fees (unless the applicant is a graduate with a nursing or midwifery qualification), a non-means tested non-repayable bursary, and additional funding for care-experienced students under 26.

Additional allowances are available for eligible students, including a dependants’ allowance, a lone parent’s allowance, contributions towards childcare costs and a disabled student’s allowance. The costs of placement-related travel and accommodation are reimbursed.

The non-means tested bursary for nursing and midwifery students in Scotland is £10,000. Students on this scheme are not eligible to apply for a maintenance loan.

Students domiciled in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and studying in Scotland have to pay tuition fees but can apply for financial assistance from their relevant funding body. EU students have to pay tuition fees and are not eligible for the bursary.

Funding for allied health profession students

Unlike nursing and midwifery students, allied health profession students in Scotland come under the general Scottish student funding system and receive a combination of bursaries and loans, dependent on household income and whether an individual is classified as a Young Student or Independent student. Additional allowances are available to eligible students. These include a dependants’ allowance, a loan parent’s allowance, contributions towards childcare costs and a disabled student’s allowance. As in England, the costs of placement-related travel and accommodation are reimbursed.

More information can be found on the Student Awards Agency Scotland website.

Wales

Welsh-domiciled students in Wales

Wales still has an NHS bursary, though it is reviewing its student support system for all students.

Students in Wales who access the NHS bursary now need to commit to working in Wales for two years after graduation. If you are a Welsh domiciled student and you do not wish to commit to working within Wales on completion of your course, you will have access to the standard student support package available from Student Finance Wales. However, if you already have a first degree and are undertaking a pre-registration programme you are not eligible to apply for a reduced rate student loan.

The NHS bursary in Wales covers:

  • The cost of tuition fees
  • A non-means tested grant of £1,000
  • A mean tested bursary up to £2,207 if a student is living in their parental home and up to £2,643 if living elsewhere

Individuals who already have a first degree and are undertaking a pre-registration programme at MSc/PG Dip level in Wales will have access to the NHS bursary package but no access to the reduced student maintenance loan.

Further information can be found on the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership website.

Students from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the EU wishing to study in Wales

If you come from England and wish to study in Wales, you will have a choice of taking out a loan from your own nation or applying for a Welsh NHS bursary. If you take the bursary, at the moment, like Welsh students you would need to commit to working in Wales for at least two years after graduation.

EU nationals who commit to working in Wales can access funding for tuition fees only, EU nationals who are unable to commit to work in Wales will have to self-fund for all tuition fees. EU nationals that have been resident in the UK for three years prior to the start of the course are eligible to same support as UK nationals.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, there are commissioned places on nursing and midwifery first degree courses. These are generally only available to undergraduate students from Northern Ireland or the EU. Financial support covers tuition fees (these are paid by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland directly to the university) and a non-means tested bursary of £5,165.04. This bursary is supplemented by a means tested dependant’s allowance based on individual circumstances (also non-repayable). Students on a commissioned place are not able to apply for a maintenance loan. Students from England, Scotland or Wales are not able to apply for a commissioned place unless they have lived in Northern Ireland for three years prior to course commencement.

Students from Northern Ireland and the EU can also apply for a commissioned place for an allied health professional first degree. The same restrictions apply for students from England, Scotland and Wales. Support available for these types of courses cover tuition fees (again by the Department of Health) and a bursary to support living costs. Students on allied health profession courses may apply for a reduced non-means tested maintenance loan.

More details can be found on the nidirect website.

Guernsey

Students who would like to train to be a nurse in Guernsey can get a degree and a professional qualification in Adult Nursing while living in Guernsey. There are no tuition fees and all successful applicants on the course will receive a bursary of £19,000 per year. Full course details BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult)