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Information on funding for pre-registration studies

We want to ensure students and prospective students know where to turn when they need funding support.

If you’re a student, prospective student or an OT supporting the next generation of our profession, we have collected the resources and links you need to make your next steps.

A great place to start is the NHS health careers website.

To keep this information relevant, we have provided direct links where possible so you can access up-to-date information.

Your eligibility for funding is normally determined by your usual place of residence, not your place of study, and as such we have broken down the information by UK nations.

 

General

Student Loans Company

You'll learn more about these in the nation specific sections but we’ve included links here for quick access.

Through the Student Loans Company you may be able to borrow money to help pay for tuition fees and help with living costs.

There is additional guidance related to COVID-19 for students from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The Funding Clinic

The Funding Clinic provides clear information if you wish to study for a pre-registration healthcare degree.

They offer comprehensive, factual advice relevant to your country of residence within the UK, and for those coming to study in the UK.

Explore your options via their website: www.thefundingclinic.org.uk

Apprentices

If you have been successfully recruited for an apprenticeship you can expect to receive a salary for the duration of your studies/training.

Training can take between three to four years to complete.

There are no tuition fees. Salaries will vary depending on the employer, but an NHS employer could pay the equivalent of a Band 2/3 or 4 salary – see UNISON’s page for further information.

Other employing organisations will have differing pay and salary scales.

General information for degree level apprentices in England is available on our site.

England

NHS England have released the new and improved 2023/24 Learner Support Funding Guidance.

What is the Learner Support Funding?

NHS England's Learner Support Funding (LSF) provides additional funding for occupational therapy and other eligible healthcare students.

It is supplementary financial support to the mainstream student loans system and is intended to support students whilst they train and gain professional registration.

You can download the NHS LSF guidance booklet 2023-24 for further details and example expense claim rates.

Download – NHS LSF guidance booklet 2023-24 (PDF, 609.22KB)

Five main components to the LSF

1. Training Grant – (not income assessed)

£5,000 – Full Time Student (pro rata for part time students)

2. Specialist Subject Payment – (not income assessed)

Occupational Therapy Students are NOT eligible for this.

3. Parental Support – (not income assessed)

£2,000 – Parental Support Payment for each year of study (pro rata for part time learners)

4. Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (not income assessed)

Travel and accommodation expenses occurred whilst on placement which are higher than the cost of attending your educational institute.

5. Exceptional Support Fund (income assessed)

Who is Eligible?

  • You must be in attendance at an occupational therapy course at a university in England – if you are undertaking a foundation year, you will not be able to receive NHS LSF until you enter year one of your course.
  • Applicants for any of the NHS LSF allowances must be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loan support from the Student Loans Company (SLC).
  • You must meet the eligibility criteria defined by one of the following depending on the UK country you normally live in:

This will usually be demonstrated by your student loan award notification letter.

How Do I Apply?

Register for an online account via the NHS Learning Support Fund application system.

There is a six month application deadline applicable for each academic year from the point you start active study in the 2023/24 academic year.

Scotland

In Scotland, course fees are paid by the Scottish Government for Scottish residents – however, there is no NHS bursary for occupational therapy learners.

You can visit the Students Awards Agency Scotland website for further information.

Expenses

OT learners can claim the cost of travel to clinical practice placements taken in Scotland, but only for amounts above their normal travel to and from university.

  • Public transport should be used as car mileage is paid only in exceptional circumstances.
  • If travel is likely to cost more than £30 per day, local accommodation may be arranged. You must submit receipts for all expenses.

How to access funding

Undergraduates (first degree)

You're eligible for student finance and can apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) to cover your tuition fees and for a maintenance loan for living costs.

For further information on student funding, you should visit: https://www.saas.gov.uk

Graduates

If you're a graduate, and you have already received funding from UK or other EU public funds for your first degree or equivalent course, you will be eligible to apply for the normal undergraduate funding package for the first two years of an Allied Health Profession (AHP) course undertaken in Scotland.

Your funding for any other years of an AHP course will be restricted to means-tested student loan and living-costs grants only.

Students undertaking an AHP course as a second degree in the rest of the UK will be eligible to apply for a student loan and living cost grants only.

Wales

Occupational therapy learners who commit to working in Wales for up to two years after qualifying are eligible for a bursary, which provides non-repayable support covering tuition fees and living costs (pro rota for part time learners).

You can visit the Students Awards Service website for further information including their section on new students if you’re considering studying in Wales.

In addition to living costs and tuition fee support you could get the following support:

Parent Learning Allowance

You could receive help with course-related costs if you have a dependent child or children.

The maximum amount you could get is £1,896 per year but this will depend on your household income and course intensity.

Adult Dependant Grant

You may be eligible for an Adult Dependant Grant if you have a partner or another adult who is financially dependent on you.

The maximum amount you could get is £3,322 per year but this will depend on your household income and course intensity.

Disabled Student Grants

These are available to eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students to cover the additional study-related costs you may have as a direct result of a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty.

The amount you get isn’t based on your household income. It’s based on your individual needs.

The maximum amount of grant in 2023 to 2024 will be £33,146 and covers the following areas of expenditure:

  • non-medical personal helper
  • major items of specialist equipment
  • other disability related expenditure.

A separate uncapped travel allowance will also be available for students who incur additional study related travel costs due to their disability.

You can learn more via the Welsh Student Finance website.

Northern Ireland

You can visit the NI Direct Government services website for further information.

If you've lived in Northern Ireland for the last three years, you can apply for an income-assessed bursary to help with living costs.

You may also be eligible to apply for a reduced rate non-income assessed loan. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland (DoH) will pay your tuition fees directly to the university.

Learners from EU countries who are ordinarily residents and studying in Northern Ireland may also qualify for financial support.

The amount of bursary you may receive will depend on your own and your family's income. You may also get extra allowances, for example, if you're disabled or have dependents. Your local Student Finance NI office will be able to advise you.

How can we support your studies?

If you are considering becoming an OT student, you can find ongoing support by becoming a student member with us.

You'll need to be:

  • enrolled on an occupational therapy pre-registration programme at a higher education institution (HEI) in the UK
  • studying an RCOT recognised support worker qualification

I will highly recommend other students join this amazing platform and gain access to a library full of relevant journals and publications to help with their assignments, projects and practice placement documentation. They also gain access to the latest job vacancies and career advice from experts, resources to support professional development and other benefits.

Blessing Christian, Occupational Therapy Student, Glasgow Caledonian University

Read Blessing’s inspiring journey in our blog section.

We've included a breakdown of our learner offer below but you can watch our learner benefits webinar too – and start maximising your membership!

How do we support you?

We're here to support your learning goals, no matter where you're at in your learning journey. With us you'll be able to:

What do you get?

To help you do this you'll receive:

  • resources to support your professional development
  • professional practice advice
  • guidance and support throughout your career
  • assistant advice from resources such as the British Journal of Occupational Therapy and our official monthly magazine, OTnews
  • access to a library full of relevant journals and publications
  • support from UNISON, the public services union
  • tax relief and insurance
  • access to the latest job vacancies and career advice
  • all of the latest news and information from the industry
  • use of the 'Member of RCOT' logo and post-nominal letters.

How much does it cost?

It costs just £5.13 per month for a student membership.

Head to our join us page to explore more.