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- Your funding questions answered
Funding your studies
Here’s everything you need to know about funding for health and social care courses.
Funding for health and social care courses
£5,000 Maintenance Grant
A non-repayable and non-means tested maintenance grant of £5,000 is available for all new and current pre-registration students on nursing, midwifery and some allied health professional courses. This applies to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Eligible courses offered at Sheffield Hallam University are:
Undergraduate pre-registration
Nursing (adult, child, mental health *, learning disability *, Joint nursing/social work)
BSc (Honours) Nursing (Mental Health)*
BSc (Honours) Nursing (Learning Disability) and Social Work*
Midwifery
Occupational therapy
BSc (Honours) Occupational Therapy
Operating department practitioner
BSc (Honours) Operating Department Practice
Paramedicine
BSc (Honours) Paramedic Science
Physiotherapy
Radiography (diagnostic and therapeutic)
BSc (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography*
BSc (Honours) Radiotherapy and Oncology*
Find out more about undergraduate fees and funding
Postgraduate pre-registration
Nursing (adult, child, mental health *, learning disability *, Joint nursing/social work)
Dietetics
MSc Dietetics (Pre-Registration)
Occupational therapy
MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration)
Physiotherapy
MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-Registration)
Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding
*included in the category for additional shortage payment see below
Some students may be eligible to receive additional payments up to £3,000 per academic year:
- £1,000 towards childcare costs
- £1,000 if studying in a region that is struggling to recruit
- £1,000 if a new student studying a shortage specialism.
The shortage specialisms offered at Sheffield Hallam University are:
- Mental health nursing
- Learning disability nursing
- Radiography (diagnostic and therapeutic)
Please visit the NHS Business Services Authority website for further information, including frequently asked questions about the funding.
Further information is available from The Council of Deans of Health.
Students will still be able to access the Student Loans Company for tuition and maintenance loans, plus the NHS Business Services Authority to apply for the existing Learning Support Fund.
Loans from Student Finance England
Undergraduate pre-registration courses
Undergraduate students on nursing, midwifery and allied health professions pre-registration courses in England are eligible to apply for student loans from Student Finance England to pay for their tuition fees and living costs.
BSc Paramedic Science
New students in England will have access to the standard student loans from Student Finance England to pay for tuition fees and living costs. Unlike most other health pre-registration courses, students who have already received a loan from Student Finance England for a previous Honours degree may not be eligible for a second loan for paramedic courses.
Postgraduate pre-registration courses
Postgraduate pre-registration students follow the same funding model as for undergraduate students. This means that if you are applying for one of our postgraduate pre-registration courses listed below, you are eligible to apply for a loan from Student Finance England to contribute to your tuition fees and living costs.
MSc Nursing (Adult, Child or Mental Health) pre-registration
MSc Occupational Therapy pre-registration
MSc Physiotherapy pre-registration
MSc Dietetics
Guidance for applicants on eligibility for loans can be found at Student Finance England.
How are social work courses funded?
The Department of Health allocates a limited number of bursaries for social work students - the number varies on an annual basis. For MSW Social Work the bursary applies to both years of study, for BA Social Work it would apply to the second and third year of study only.
MSW Social Work
Due to the limited number of bursaries the process for recommending students to the Department of Health requires us to prioritise bursary candidates, we do this based on performance against our admissions criteria during the course selection event.
Information about applying for the NHS social work bursaries is included in the course selection event.
Where an NHS social work bursary is not available you will remain eligible to apply for the postgraduate student loan (subject to criteria).
Please note if you receive a bursary you will not be eligible to apply for a postgraduate loan.
BA Social Work
Bursaries are not payable in the first year of undergraduate study, however you will remain eligible to apply for the student loan (subject to the usual criteria).
Due to the limited number of bursaries the process for recommending students to the Department of Health requires us to prioritise bursary candidates, we do this based on performance against our admissions criteria during the course selection event.
Travel bursary
All students are eligible to apply to the Department of Health for a small bursary to cover placement travel costs.
Further information is available on the NHS social work bursaries website.
How is BSc Paramedic Science funded?
New students in England will have access to the standard student loans from Student Finance England to pay for tuition fees and living costs. Unlike most other health pre-registration courses, students who have already received a loan from Student Finance England for a previous Honours degree may not be eligible for a second loan for paramedic courses.
I'm not sure I can afford to go to University. What financial support is there to help me?
The student loan provides for both your tuition fees and your living costs.
There are also a range of means-tested loans, including a specific loan designed to support students on courses that have a longer than average student year.
To talk to somebody about your own circumstances, call 0114 225 2222 or email hallamhelp@shu.ac.uk
I have children or other dependents. Is there financial support to help?
Yes. There are grants for childcare, adult dependents and parents' learning allowance. These are grants not loans, so you do not need to repay them.
To talk to somebody about your own circumstances, call 0114 225 2222 or email hallamhelp@shu.ac.uk
When do I need to pay back the loan?
You do not have to pay anything upfront. You do not start paying this back until you earn over a certain amount (this is currently £25,000), in the same way as other students.
You won't pay anything back until the April after you graduate at the earliest and repayments will be made gradually out of your pay (you don't need to worry about missing a payment as it is taken automatically.)
If your salary ever drops below the threshold, you will stop making repayments.
How much do I need to pay back?
The amount you repay each month is based on how much you earn, not the size of your loan, and you pay the same amount each month. Get an estimate on what your loan repayments would look like with the Student Finance repayment calculator.
The amount you need to earn to start re-paying your loan is currently £25,000 and is now adjusted annually in line with average earnings.
The money will be deducted automatically from your wages (just like tax and national insurance). You will stop making repayments if your salary drops below £25,000 - even if only for a short time - and any unpaid balance will be written off after 30 years.
I already have a loan from a previous degree. Do I have to pay back both loans at the same time?
In most cases, no. You will only pay back the second loan once you have repaid the first loan. Please check your personal eligibility for funding with Student Finance England.
You will still only pay back on your loans for 30 years. Any unpaid loan amount, including any remaining from your second loan, will be written off.
Where can I find more information?
Read more on the Funding Clinic and Department of Health websites.
Preparing for University
Students on some healthcare courses spend a great deal of time on clinical and community placements away from the university. In some cases, this means that students need to travel longer distances than usual or even stay away from home for a period of time. Students who fall into this category may be eligible for reimbursement of additional travel and accommodation costs over normal daily travel costs. This support is part of the Learning Support Fund administered through the NHS Business Services Authority.
Read more about reimbursement here