News about the £5000 Health Sciences Training Grant
If you’re a new or returning student health professional, no doubt you’ll have lots of questions about the new training grant funding which has been widely promoted.
The Student Advice team has produced a helpful factsheet which will be made available from your SSGT and the Student Advisers, but in the meantime, here are the summarised key points:
- The new Training Grant is an additional element to the existing NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF)
- The funding is available from 1st September 2020 but applications opened today, 1st July for September cohort students
- The current Child Dependants Allowance has had a makeover and is being repurposed as Parental Support
- Eligible recipients should be pre-registration healthcare students in receipt of a student loan for tuition fees and maintenance.
- The NHS LSF is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Student Services and is independent of Student Finance so you need to apply for these new elements separately to your student loan.
- You apply once you have your Student Finance notification for the new academic year.
PLEASE NOTE
When you see this question on your student finance application:
In this academic year, are you eligible to apply for a bursary (excluding social work bursary) from any of the following?
• National Health Service (NHS)
• Department of Health (DoH) for Northern Ireland
• Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
Yes/No
The answer is ‘No’
For more detailed information about eligibility, please refer to the NHSBSA funding FAQs and please email studentadvice@brighton.ac.uk with any questions. We are on this learning journey together 🙂
Student Advice Service
Helen Abrahams • July 1, 2020
meghana September 7, 2020 - 3:48 pm
Had a question about this grant: Can an application be made if the tuition fee loan isn’t the full £9250? I.e. if I took a fee loan for £4000 and a maintenance loan of £3800, will I get the additional £5000?
Helen Abrahams September 9, 2020 - 9:57 am
Hi Meghana, thanks for the comment.
If you read page 6 of the NHS Learning Support Fund guidance: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund, you will see reference to student loans.
To summarise – most applicants are expected to have applied for the maximum student finance available to them, but NHSBSA will consider applications made by students who have decide not to take out the full loan on a case by case basis
I hope this is helpful
Best wishes
Helen
Student Advice Service Manager
Izzy September 23, 2020 - 8:15 am
Hi,
If you are a February cohort how do you apply as there are only options for September and November? I am restarting as a September Cohort but my student finance has to remain as February cohort as it can’t be changes once started. Does this mean loosing a year of the grant?
Thanks
Helen Abrahams September 23, 2020 - 9:06 am
Hi Izzy, if you’re a February cohort student (for funding purposes) but you have now switched academic cohorts mid year, you have to wait until you receive notification of your student finance award for Feb 21.
You won’t miss out on a year, you will just receive this particular payment differently.
If you would like to talk to one of the Advisers about this in more detail in a confidential space, I can arrange for someone to call you?
If you would like this, please email studentadvice@brighton.ac.uk and request a telephone/Teams call
Best wishes
Helen Abrahams
Student Advice Service Manager
Eros Biasiolo June 15, 2021 - 10:06 am
hi, can EU students apply, who do not have a student loan?
Helen Abrahams June 21, 2021 - 10:11 am
Hi Eros
Thank you for the question.
The eligibility criteria for the Training Grant and all elements of the NHS Learning Support Fund stipulates that students must be eligible to receive full Tuition Fee and Maintenance Loan from Student Finance. So, if you are an EU student but eligible to receive full student funding as a UK student, you will be able to apply for the Training Grant.
I advise you to contact the Student Advisers here at Brighton direct if you are not clear about the eligibility criteria. Please email the team and quote your University of Brighton student number: studentadvice@brighton.ac.uk
Best wishes
Helen Abrahams