NHS, teaching and other government support

Undergraduates and postgraduates can get help with the costs of their teacher training. You can get student finance if you’re an undergraduate student or postgraduate student on Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses. You can get student finance at the same level of student loans, grants and bursaries as other students. 

You may be eligible for a training bursary from NCTL. How much you get depends on your teaching subject and degree class. 

For a full list of all available bursaries, please visit the Get into Teaching website.

Care leavers starting a recognised Higher Education course will be eligible for a one-off non-taxable bursary of £2,000 paid by your Local Authority (LA). The amount received will not be included in your income assessment for student support. 

This is for disabled students in Higher Education. The DSA is a grant which helps to pay for extra costs that you may have to pay, when attending your course, as a direct result of disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty. The allowance can help with costs of a non-medical helper, major items of specialist equipment, travel and other costs. Full-time, part-time and postgraduate students can apply for the DSA. 

 

For full details refer to the booklet 'Bridging the Gap' available by calling the Department for Education & Skills (DFES) free on 0800 731 9133 or visit the Directgov webpages on the Disabled Student Allowance.

 

Tuition fee loans

Tuition fee loans cover the full amount of the fees charged. You are not obliged to take out a tuition fee loan if you wish to pay your fees from your own funds. Tuition fees are charged for all higher education courses except for NHS funded courses such as nursing and other health professions. From 2006, whether you are a new or continuing student, you can get a tuition fee loan from the Student Loan Company to cover your fees. Tuition fee loans are not means tested, and there is no upper age limit for receiving one, however you cannot get a tuition fee loan if you already have an honours degree except if you are studying for PGCE. 

 

Further information is available from the support and advice page. 

As well as tuition fee loans, there are student loans available for maintenance (i.e. living costs). For many of you the maintenance loan will be your main means of support. 

 

Further information is available from the fees and funding page. 

The parents' learning allowance is intended for child-related costs such as informal childcare. For further information, NHS students should contact www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students and education students should contact www.gov.uk/student-finance. 

The childcare grant covers up to 85 per cent of registered childcare costs to a maximum of £155.24* weekly for one child and £266.15* weekly for two or more children.

NHS students should contact www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students and education students should contact www.gov.uk/student-finance.