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For nursing, midwifery and allied health students in England, the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) is the single most important pot of non-repayable money available alongside your student loan. It pays you for every year of your pre-registration degree, with extra payments for parents, travel and hardship – and you do not pay any of it back.
This guide explains who is eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund, how much each payment is worth, when applications open and how the fund interacts with an Access to HE Diploma (Nursing) or Access to HE Diploma (Midwifery) – the two qualifications that get most adult learners through to a university course in the first place.
What is the NHS Learning Support Fund?
The NHS Learning Support Fund is an annual non-repayable grant scheme managed by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for eligible healthcare students at universities in England. It was reintroduced in 2020 and the current rules are set out in the Learning Support Fund 9th Edition (2025-2026) published by the Department of Health and Social Care.
The NHS Learning Support Fund is paid on top of any student loan you receive from Student Finance England. It is not means-tested in the same way as a maintenance loan – every eligible student gets the same training grant figure, regardless of household income.
How much is the NHS Learning Support Fund worth?
The NHS Learning Support Fund is made up of four separate payments. Each one has its own eligibility rules:
- Training Grant – £5,000 per academic year. A flat-rate non-repayable payment for every eligible student, every year of the course.
- Parental Support – £2,000 per academic year. An additional payment for students with at least one dependent child under the age of 15 (or under 17 if registered with special educational needs).
- Specialist Subject Payment – £1,000 per academic year. An extra payment for students on shortage specialisms such as mental health nursing, learning disability nursing, district nursing, podiatry, prosthetics and orthotics, orthoptics, radiography (diagnostic and therapeutic) and several allied health specialisms.
- Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE). Reimbursement of reasonable extra travel and accommodation costs you incur on clinical placement, above what it would cost you to attend your normal university campus.
There is also an Exceptional Support Fund of up to £3,000 per academic year for students who run into unexpected financial hardship during their course. The Exceptional Support Fund is discretionary and applied for separately.
Who is eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund?
To qualify for the NHS Learning Support Fund Training Grant, you must be:
- Studying a pre-registration undergraduate or postgraduate course at a university in England.
- On an eligible course – nursing (adult, child, mental health, learning disability), midwifery, or one of the allied health professions (including paramedic science, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, radiography, dietetics, speech and language therapy, podiatry, orthoptics, orthotics and prosthetics, operating department practice and dental hygiene and dental therapy).
- Eligible for home fee status at your university.
- Registered on the course and attending – the grant is suspended if you take an interruption of studies.
The NHS Learning Support Fund is not available for medical or dental students – those courses have their own NHS Bursary scheme. It is also not available for nursing apprenticeships, because apprentices are paid a salary by their employer.
NHS LSF and the Access to HE route to a nursing degree
Most adult learners do not start a nursing degree straight from school. The standard adult route is to take an Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing) – a Level 3 qualification accepted by every UK university with a nursing programme – and then progress to a BSc (Hons) Nursing or Midwifery degree.
The NHS Learning Support Fund does not pay for the Access to HE Diploma itself, because Access to HE is a Level 3 college-equivalent qualification rather than a university-level pre-registration course. The Learning Support Fund only kicks in once you are enrolled on the degree. However, the Access to HE Diploma is funded separately: most adult learners aged 19+ qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan from Student Finance England to cover the course fees, and that loan is written off in full when you complete an eligible higher education course such as a nursing degree.
The combined funding picture for an adult learner taking the Access to HE route into nursing is therefore:
- Access to HE year: Advanced Learner Loan (written off on completion of the nursing degree).
- Nursing degree years 1-3: Maintenance loan from Student Finance + NHS Learning Support Fund Training Grant (£5,000 per year, non-repayable) + any parental, specialist or travel payments you are entitled to.
You can browse the full Access to Higher Education faculty to see all of the diploma routes that lead to NHS LSF-eligible degrees.
How to apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund
You apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund directly through the NHSBSA online portal, not through your university or through Student Finance England. The application opens each year shortly before the start of the academic year and you should submit it as soon as you have confirmed your university place – payments only run from the date your application is approved.
You will need:
- A confirmed offer (unconditional) from your university.
- Your course start date and expected end date.
- Evidence of any dependants (for Parental Support).
- Bank details for the grant to be paid into.
Payments are made in three instalments across the academic year. The first instalment is usually paid within around six weeks of your application being approved.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NHS Learning Support Fund?
The NHS Learning Support Fund is an annual non-repayable grant scheme for eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health students at universities in England. It provides a Training Grant of £5,000 a year, plus additional payments for parents, specialist subjects, clinical placement travel costs and exceptional hardship.
Who is eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund?
You are eligible if you are studying a pre-registration nursing, midwifery or allied health course at a university in England, are registered for home fee status, and are attending the course. It is not available for medical or dental students, nor for students on a nursing apprenticeship.
How much is the NHS Learning Support Fund?
The Training Grant is £5,000 per academic year for every eligible student. Eligible parents can claim an additional £2,000 a year. Students on shortage specialisms can claim £1,000 a year. Reasonable travel and dual accommodation costs on clinical placement are reimbursed in full, and an Exceptional Support Fund of up to £3,000 a year is available to students in unexpected financial hardship.
Do you have to pay back the NHS Learning Support Fund?
No. The NHS Learning Support Fund is a non-repayable grant. It is paid in addition to any student loan you receive from Student Finance England, and it does not reduce your maintenance loan entitlement. You only repay your student loan, not the NHS LSF.
Can I get the Learning Support Fund for an Access to HE course?
No. The NHS Learning Support Fund is only available once you are enrolled on the pre-registration degree at university. An Access to HE Diploma is a Level 3 qualification that prepares you for the degree. Access to HE courses are funded separately through the Advanced Learner Loan, which is written off in full when you complete your nursing or midwifery degree.
When does the NHS Learning Support Fund open for applications?
Applications usually open in the summer before the new academic year on the NHSBSA online portal. You can apply as soon as you have an unconditional offer from your university. Payments are backdated to your course start date once your application is approved.
How is the NHS Learning Support Fund paid?
The Training Grant is paid directly into your bank account in three instalments across the academic year, broadly aligned with each term. Parental Support and Specialist Subject Payments are paid alongside the Training Grant. Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) are claimed back retrospectively after you submit receipts for placement travel and accommodation.
Can medical students get the NHS Learning Support Fund?
No. Medical and dental students are not eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund. They are covered by the separate NHS Bursary Scheme, which applies from year five of a standard medical degree or from year one for graduate-entry medicine.
Ready to take the first step?
The Access to HE Diploma (Nursing) qualifies you for university – where the NHS Learning Support Fund becomes available.
Information in this article is based on the NHS Learning Support Fund 9th Edition (2025-2026) published by the Department of Health and Social Care. NHS LSF rules are subject to change – always check the NHSBSA website for the latest information.
Eligible Access to HE and NHS pathways
The NHS Learning Support Fund applies to nursing, midwifery, and many allied health degrees. Most learners reach those degrees via an Access to HE Diploma.
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