Eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health students in England can get a Training Grant of £5,000 a year that does not have to be repaid, plus parental, specialist subject, placement travel and hardship support. The Department of Health and Social Care sets the rules and the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) administers the fund.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED Eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health students in England can get a Training Grant of £5,000 a year that does not have to be repaid, plus parental, specialist subject, placement travel and hardship support. The Department of Health and Social Care sets the rules and the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) administers the fund.
- The Training Grant is £5,000 a year, not means tested and not repaid, paid in three termly instalments.
- Parental Support is £2,000 a year and the Specialist Subject Payment is £1,000 a year.
- TDAE reimburses placement travel and temporary accommodation within set limits, with claims due within 6 months.
- The Exceptional Support Fund offers up to £3,000 a year for students in financial hardship.
KEY FACTS
- Training Grant: £5,000 a year, not means tested, not repayable
- Parental Support: £2,000 a year with a dependant child under 15 (under 17 with SEN)
- Specialist Subject Payment: £1,000 a year on six shortage courses
- Placement travel: Actual public transport cost, 42p a mile by car, 30p by bike
- Placement accommodation: Up to £82.50 a night commercial, £37.50 non-commercial
- Exceptional Support Fund: Up to £3,000 a year, means tested
- Apply by: Within 6 months of the start of your academic year
What the Learning Support Fund is
The NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). DHSC published the rules for the 2026 to 2027 academic year on 24 July 2026 in the 10th edition of NHS financial support for health students. The rules apply in England.
The fund sits alongside student loans rather than replacing them, and its grants are non-repayable. It is aimed at nursing, midwifery and allied health students studying at a university or other academic authority in England. Because the rules are set for England only, students studying elsewhere in the UK fall outside this scheme.
Who is eligible
To qualify, a student must be eligible for both tuition fee and maintenance loans from the Student Loans Company, be ordinarily resident in the UK, study at a university or other academic authority in England, and be in active study. Eligible courses include nursing (adult, child, mental health, learning disability, joint nursing and social work, and joint nursing and paramedicine), midwifery, allied health professions such as dietetics, physiotherapy, paramedicine, radiography and podiatry, and dental therapy and dental hygiene at levels 5 and 6.
Undergraduate pharmacy and pre-registration healthcare science students can claim placement travel and accommodation expenses only, from the 2025 to 2026 academic year onward, and must create an LSF account to do so. That narrower entitlement means these students do not receive the Training Grant, Parental Support or Specialist Subject Payment.
Training Grant
The Training Grant is £5,000 per academic year, or a pro rata amount for part-time students. It is not means tested and does not have to be repaid. It is paid in three termly instalments, and the course must have started on or after 1 August 2017.
Because payment is split across terms, the grant arrives in stages through the academic year rather than as a single sum. The start date rule means courses beginning before 1 August 2017 do not attract the grant.
Parental Support
Parental Support is £2,000 per academic year, whatever the number of children, or pro rata for part-time students. It requires at least one dependant child under 15, or under 17 if the child has special educational needs. If a child is born during the year, the award is pro rata from the month of the change. It is paid in three termly instalments.
The amount does not rise with additional children, so the £2,000 figure is fixed per student per year. Part-time study reduces the award in proportion to the course intensity.
Specialist Subject Payment
The Specialist Subject Payment is an extra £1,000 per academic year, not means tested and not repayable, paid in three monthly instalments. It applies to courses that started after 1 September 2020 in mental health nursing, learning disability nursing, diagnostic or therapeutic radiography, prosthetics and orthotics, orthoptics, and podiatry.
The payment is tied to the subject and the course start date, so a student on one of the six listed courses who began after 1 September 2020 qualifies for the additional £1,000 on top of the Training Grant.
Placement travel and accommodation (TDAE)
Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) reimburse actual costs above normal travel to university, within set limits: public transport at actual cost, 30p per mile by pedal cycle, 42p per mile by motor vehicle, parking, tolls and ferries at actual cost, commercial temporary accommodation up to £82.50 per night and non-commercial temporary accommodation up to £37.50 per night.
TDAE covers excess daily travel to a placement, one weekly return journey to temporary accommodation, travel from temporary accommodation to the placement, extra travel to other placement sites or patients' homes where transport is not provided, and temporary accommodation near a placement where daily travel is not practical and it is not the parental home. For a required placement outside the UK, TDAE can also cover extra costs such as dual accommodation, medical tests, medical insurance, vaccinations and visa fees.
TDAE does not reimburse refreshments, placement arrangement fees, tips or phone calls. Claims must be made within 6 months of the cost being incurred, and an advance payment facility is available in 2026 to 2027.
| Cost | Can be claimed |
|---|---|
| Public transport | Actual cost |
| Pedal cycle mileage | 30p per mile |
| Motor vehicle mileage | 42p per mile |
| Parking, tolls and ferries | Actual cost |
| Commercial temporary accommodation | Up to £82.50 per night |
| Non-commercial temporary accommodation | Up to £37.50 per night |
| Refreshments | Not claimable |
| Placement arrangement fees | Not claimable |
| Tips and phone calls | Not claimable |
Exceptional Support Fund
The Exceptional Support Fund provides up to £3,000 per academic year for students in financial hardship. It is means tested, discretionary and not repayable, and applications can be made at any point in the academic year.
Because the fund is discretionary, each application is assessed on the student's circumstances rather than paid automatically alongside the other grants.
How and when to apply
Students must register an LSF account with the NHSBSA within one calendar month after active study starts for the academic year, and apply within 6 calendar months of the start of the academic year. Applications must be made again each year. For students starting in September or October 2026, NHSBSA lists the main payment dates as 17 November 2026 for term 1, 16 March 2027 for term 2 and 20 July 2027 for term 3. No payment is made until the student has enrolled, or for continuing students, started the academic year.
Changes in circumstances must be reported to the NHSBSA within one month.
Reviews, appeals and complaints
A review of an NHSBSA decision must be requested within 28 days of the decision, and an appeal to DHSC within 28 days of the review decision. Complaints can be made to the NHSBSA on 0300 330 0521.
These time limits run from the date of the original decision and the review decision respectively, so each stage has its own 28 day window.
Source: DHSC: NHS financial support for health students, 10th edition (2026 to 2027).
Related coverage on Kael Tripton: Student Loan Interest Rates for 2026-27: Plan 2 Capped at 6%, UK Postgraduates Trapped by Double Student Loan Debt: Plan 2 and Plan 3 Explained, Student Finance Dates: When to Apply, What Evidence You Need and When the Money Arrives, How Much Student Finance Will I Get? Tuition Loans, Maintenance Loans and Household Income, Childcare and nurseries pack.
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RELATED GUIDES
- Student Loan Interest Rates for 2026-27: Plan 2 Capped at 6%
- UK Postgraduates Trapped by Double Student Loan Debt: Plan 2 and Plan 3 Explained
- Student Finance Dates: When to Apply, What Evidence You Need and When the Money Arrives
- How Much Student Finance Will I Get? Tuition Loans, Maintenance Loans and Household Income
- Childcare and nurseries pack
DISCLAIMER
This guide summarises official rules for the 2026 to 2027 academic year. Check your own eligibility with the NHSBSA before relying on it.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the NHS Learning Support Fund Training Grant for 2026 to 2027?
The Training Grant is £5,000 per academic year, or a pro rata amount for part-time students. It is not means tested, does not have to be repaid and is paid in three termly instalments.
Who can claim the NHS Learning Support Fund?
Students must be eligible for both tuition fee and maintenance loans from the Student Loans Company, be ordinarily resident in the UK, study at a university or other academic authority in England, and be in active study on an eligible course.
What placement costs does TDAE cover?
TDAE covers excess daily travel to a placement, one weekly return journey to temporary accommodation, travel from temporary accommodation to the placement, extra travel to other placement sites or patients' homes where transport is not provided, and temporary accommodation near a placement where daily travel is not practical and it is not the parental home.
When do I need to apply for the fund?
An LSF account must be registered with the NHSBSA within one calendar month after active study starts for the academic year, and the application made within 6 calendar months of the start of the academic year. Applications must be made again each year.
How do I challenge an NHSBSA decision on my claim?
A review of an NHSBSA decision must be requested within 28 days of the decision, and an appeal to DHSC within 28 days of the review decision. Complaints can be made to the NHSBSA on 0300 330 0521.
SOURCES
- Department of Health and Social Care: NHS financial support for health students, 10th edition, NHS Learning Support Fund (24 July 2026) - accessed 17 October 2026
- NHS Business Services Authority: NHS Learning Support Fund - accessed 17 October 2026
