If you’re considering studying nursing or midwifery at university, this news may just make your mind up! Yesterday it was announced that from September 2020, all pre-registration nursing students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, will receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 per year to help with living costs. This funding will be available to:
- Nursing students
- Midwifery students
- Many allied health students (more detail will be available in early 2020)
The funding is not only available to those beginning their degree, but also current students who are continuing their degree. For those undertaking a Foundation year (Level 3) on courses eligible for this bursary, once successfully completing that year, those continuing their degree on to Level 4 will be eligible for the bursary.
It is important to note that this non-repayable maintenance grant does not impact on students’ access to tuition and maintenance loans from the Student Loans Company, rather, it is in addition to this.
As well as receiving £5,000 a year, up to £3,000 further funding will be available for some eligible students. This will apply to students who are studying nursing pathways linked with specialist disciplines that have previously struggled to recruit, such as students studying mental health nursing. It will also apply to students who are entitled to an additional childcare allowance (this is as well as the £1,000 that is on offer currently). Lastly, this additional funding will also apply to areas of the country where there has been a decrease in acceptance numbers on some nursing, midwifery and allied health courses over the last 12 months.
Further details on who can access the support will be available in early 2020, but it has already been confirmed that all students will receive £5,000 per year, with some eligible for up to £8,000 per year. In the meantime, the most up to date available information for students contemplating health careers can be found on the Funding Clinic website.
Angela Simpson, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of Chester, said:
‘We are optimistic that the introduction of the non-repayable grant from September 2020 will encourage people to seriously consider careers in health. University of Chester has a long history of delivering undergraduate health professional education and is always keen to hear from prospective students who aspire to become registered nurses or midwives.’
Find out more information about our Nursing and Midwifery courses and feel free to contact our Faculty of Health and Social Care if you have any questions: hscadmissions@chester.ac.uk
