ALT-1 Scholarships and Financial Aid for Nursing Students in the UK
Student nurses are in a much better position, financially, than most other university students for several reasons:
1) Student nurses do not have to pay tuition fees. These are paid for by the NHS.
2) All student nurses receive a bursary. This varies on which country of the UK the student nurse is studying in. All students in Wales and Scotland receive the full NHS bursary. This is approximately 6 000 per year, with more for students with children. In England, student nurses studying for the diploma in nursing also receive the full NHS bursary, however, those studying for the degree receive a Mensa-tested NHS bursary of up to approximately 2 500. However, degree students studying in England are eligible to apply for a student loan from the student loans company, unlike those receiving the full bursary. I became a student nurse in 2005, and looked into studying in England, but decided against it, mainly for this reason, but since then the way student loans are controlled, and the amounts available to borrow, have changed, so up to date information should be sought via the student loans company website.
One way to get around the reduced bursary for students wishing to study nursing may be to either study in Wales or Scotland. Scotland runs both the diploma and degree courses. All courses in Wales are degree, with the opportunity to remain at level 2 in the third year, thereby qualifying with a degree.
An alternative, if you would be prefer to study in England may be to chose a university which offers both diploma and degree courses, and opt to transfer to the degree course at the end of year 2, when the diploma students continue to study at level 2, whilst the degree students move on to study at level 3. This will leave only one year to be part financed by a student loan. You may want to check with the university if it is possible to transfer between the diploma and the degree course at that particular university.
The third option would be to study for a diploma in England, and top up to a degree at a later point in your career.
The difference between a diploma and degree course is purely academic, with the only difference being the academic qualification obtained at the end of the course. Both would be able to register as a nurse and apply for the same positions.
