How The New Nursing Bursary Works

Here we give a brief explanation of the new bursary scheme introduced in September 2020. It may be a welcome increase for some, but will it have an impact on Nursing numbers?

Topics covered in this article

Introduction

How Much Can Student Nurses Get With The New Bursary?

Is This Bursary The Same As Before?

Introduction

Back in 2015, then chancellor George Osborne announced that the nursing bursary, which offered student Nurses at least £10,000 a year in funding, would be scrapped from 2016.

It was controversial to say the least, and is widely attributed as the cause of a 40% drop in student applications over the ensuing years.

However, as of September 2020, the nursing bursary is back.

But do student Nurses get the same amount as before?

And how is the bursary structured?

How Much Can Student Nurses Get With The New Bursary?

All students now get a £5000 a year maintenance grant, regardless of their circumstances.

Any Nurses planning to work in areas with severe shortages, such as mental health or learning disabilities, also have access to a further £1000 grant.

There’s an additional childcare allowance of £2000 on offer too.

Students receiving grants still have the same access to student loans.

Is This Bursary The Same As Before?

In short, no.

The previous bursary was worth up to £16,454 a year, and always included a minimum of £10,000 – which included paying student fees.

Therefore, the new version of the bursary is welcome, but perhaps doesn’t go far enough for everyone – especially given the continued shortfall in nursing numbers.

In the coming years, we’ll get a clearer sense of whether the re-introduction of the bursary has a significant effect on nursing recruitment.

It will also become clearer whether an increase in the size of the grant will be necessary.

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