The NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) provides additional, non-repayable financial support to eligible students studying certain pre-registration healthcare courses at universities in England.
For 2026/27, eligible students can receive a £5,000 Training Grant, with some qualifying for an additional £1,000 Specialist Subject Payment or £2,000 Parental Support.
Placement-related travel and accommodation costs may also be reimbursed, while students experiencing serious financial hardship can potentially receive up to £3,000 through the Exceptional Support Fund.
NHS LSF sits alongside mainstream student finance rather than replacing it. Eligible students normally need to qualify for tuition fee and maintenance support through the student finance system.
Last Updated: 15.09.2026
What Is the NHS Learning Support Fund?
The NHS Learning Support Fund is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Its purpose is to provide additional financial support to people training for healthcare professions where university study frequently includes lengthy clinical placements, additional travel and other costs not experienced by every university student.
NHS LSF is different from a normal Student Loan because its main grants do not need to be repaid, provided the student was correctly entitled to the money.
The current scheme can provide five main forms of support:
- Training Grant – £5,000 per academic year
- Specialist Subject Payment – An additional £1,000 for specified courses
- Parental Support – £2,000 for eligible students with dependent children
- Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses – Reimbursement towards qualifying placement expenses
- Exceptional Support Fund – Up to £3,000 for eligible students facing genuine financial hardship
How the NHS Learning Support Fund Has Changed Over the Years?
How the Fund Has Evolved and Expanded?
The NHS Learning Support Fund has changed considerably since its earlier form was introduced for the 2017/18 academic year.
Before September 2020, the scheme was more focused on specific costs such as placement travel, dependants and exceptional hardship.
A major expansion took effect in September 2020 when the government introduced the £5,000 annual Training Grant, £2,000 Parental Support and additional payments for specified shortage subjects.
The scheme has continued to evolve. From the 2025/26 academic year, eligible undergraduate pharmacy and pre-registration healthcare science students gained access to the TDAE element for qualifying placement costs, although not the other main NHS LSF allowances.
Who the Fund Has Supported and How It Has Helped Students?
NHS LSF supports students preparing for careers including nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, radiography, occupational therapy, paramedicine and several other healthcare professions.
Its practical impact can differ considerably between students.
A nursing student may use the Training Grant towards ordinary living and study costs. A student parent could receive Parental Support. Someone sent to a distant clinical placement may be able to recover additional travel or accommodation expenses.
This makes the fund particularly relevant to courses where compulsory placements can create costs on top of ordinary university expenses.
What the Data Shows About Student Uptake and Healthcare Workforce Support?
The introduction of the expanded financial support in 2020 coincided with a sharp increase in interest in nursing courses.
House of Commons Library analysis found that applicants from England for nursing courses increased by 18% in 2020, following the introduction of the £5,000 Training Grant. Applicant numbers continued rising into 2021.
However, the funding should not be treated as the sole reason for that increase. The pandemic also significantly increased the profile of NHS careers and influenced healthcare-course applications.
The wider policy objective remains important. NHS LSF is designed not only to support individual students but also to encourage diversity within healthcare education and help maintain the future supply of trained NHS professionals.
Key Changes Leading Into 2026/27
Important developments include:
- 2017/18 – NHS Learning Support Fund introduced
- 2020/21 – £5,000 Training Grant introduced alongside expanded Parental Support and specialist payments
- 2022/23 – Some second-degree paramedicine students became eligible for case-by-case consideration
- 2025/26 – Pharmacy and healthcare science students gained access to qualifying TDAE support
- 2026 – Certain employment-based Open University nursing programmes became eligible
- 2026/27 – TDAE advance payments provide another way for eligible students to manage upfront placement costs
How Much Is the NHS Learning Support Fund in 2026/27?
The amount a student can receive depends on their course and circumstances.
| Funding | 2026/27 Amount | Main Purpose |
| Training Grant | £5,000 | General study and maintenance support |
| Specialist Subject Payment | £1,000 | Additional support for specified subjects |
| Parental Support | £2,000 | Support for eligible student parents |
| TDAE | Varies | Placement travel and accommodation costs |
| Exceptional Support Fund | Up to £3,000 | Serious financial hardship |
£5,000 NHS Training Grant
The Training Grant provides eligible full-time students with £5,000 per academic year. It is non-means-tested and non-repayable.
Part-time students receive a proportion of the full-time amount.
For a course normally lasting three years full-time:
| Study Pattern | Training Grant Per Academic Year |
| Full-Time | £5,000 |
| Four-Year Part-Time Course | £3,750 |
| Five-Year Part-Time Course | £3,000 |
| Six-Year Part-Time Course | £2,500 |
£1,000 Specialist Subject Payment
Eligible students can receive another £1,000 per academic year if studying certain shortage or specialist subjects.
These include:
- Mental Health Nursing
- Learning Disability Nursing
- Diagnostic Radiography
- Therapeutic Radiography
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Orthoptics
- Podiatry
The payment is normally added when an eligible Training Grant application is approved.
£2,000 Parental Support
Eligible full-time students who have parental responsibility for a child can receive £2,000 per academic year, regardless of whether they have one qualifying child or several.
The child must generally be:
- Under 15 years old
- Under 17 years old if registered with special educational needs
Part-time students receive a pro-rata amount.
Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses
TDAE helps students with additional costs caused by attending compulsory practice placements.
Eligible expenses can include excess public transport costs, mileage and temporary accommodation.
Current NHSBSA rates include42p per mile for driving, 30p per mile for cycling, up to £82.50 per night for qualifying commercial accommodation, and up to £37.50 per night for qualifying non-commercial accommodation.
Up to £3,000 Exceptional Support Fund
Students experiencing genuine and unexpected financial hardship may qualify for up to £3,000 per academic year.
The Exceptional Support Fund is means-tested and discretionary. Applicants need to demonstrate a genuine shortfall between income and reasonable expenditure and normally need to have explored other available funding, including university hardship support.
Who Is Eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund?
Students generally need to:
- Study an eligible course at a university in England
- Be actively studying or undertaking practice learning
- Be ordinarily resident in the UK
- Qualify for relevant tuition fee and maintenance support through the student finance system
Students who qualify for student finance but choose not to take out a loan may still be considered, although NHSBSA will normally require evidence showing they satisfy the relevant eligibility rules.
Eligible professions can include:
- Nursing
- Midwifery
- Dietetics
- Occupational Therapy
- Orthoptics
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Radiography
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Operating Department Practice
- Paramedicine
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Dental Hygiene
- Dental Therapy
Foundation years are not funded through NHS LSF. Paramedic Diploma of Higher Education and Foundation Degree courses are also excluded.
Students continuing to receive wages while training through certain employer or NHS arrangements may also be ineligible.
Can Pharmacy and Healthcare Science Students Get NHS LSF?
Yes, but their entitlement is more limited.
From the 2025/26 academic year, eligible students studying:
- Undergraduate Pharmacy
- Pre-Registration Healthcare Science
can access the Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses element of NHS LSF.
They are not normally entitled to the £5,000 Training Grant, Specialist Subject Payment, Parental Support or Exceptional Support Fund through this route.
This distinction is important because seeing pharmacy or healthcare science described as NHS LSF eligible does not mean the student receives the full funding package.
Can Postgraduate, Second-Degree and Part-Time Students Apply?
Eligible undergraduate and postgraduate pre-registration healthcare courses can qualify.
Students taking a second degree may also be eligible if they meet the relevant student finance conditions and are not already professionally registered in the profession they are studying.
Paramedicine has additional case-by-case rules for some second-degree students who cannot access normal Student Loan funding because of an equivalent or lower qualification.
Part-time students can also receive NHS LSF, although fixed grants are generally reduced according to their study pattern.
NHS Learning Support Fund Payment Dates 2026/27
Students whose course or new academic year starts in September or October 2026 have three main scheduled payment dates:
| Term | Scheduled Payment Date |
| Term 1 | 17 November 2026 |
| Term 2 | 16 March 2027 |
| Term 3 | 20 July 2027 |
Students starting at another time have different payment schedules. Their NHS LSF account should show their actual payment dates.
Payments depend on Confirmation of Student Attendance.
For the first instalment, the university confirms attendance. For later instalments, students must complete their attendance confirmation before their university can verify it.
Payments cannot normally be fast-tracked.
Why Has My NHS Learning Support Fund Payment Not Arrived?
A delayed NHS Learning Support Fund payment does not necessarily mean funding has been cancelled.
Common causes include:
- Attendance Has Not Been Confirmed
- University Verification Is Outstanding
- Application Evidence Is Missing
- The Application Has Not Yet Been Approved
- Bank Details Are Incorrect
- Course Dates Have Changed
- The Student Has Interrupted or Withdrawn
- The Student Belongs to a Different Payment Cohort
Students should check the payments section of their NHS LSF account because the date shown there reflects their individual position.
NHS LSF payments must be made into a UK bank account.
What Are Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses?
TDAE is designed to stop eligible students being unfairly disadvantaged by the additional cost of compulsory healthcare placements.
Generally, the placement journey must cost more than the student’s normal journey to university before excess travel costs can be reimbursed.
Students may be able to claim for:
- Public Transport
- Vehicle Mileage
- Cycling Mileage
- Parking and Certain Travel Charges
- Temporary Commercial Accommodation
- Qualifying Non-Commercial Accommodation
From placements starting on or after 1 September 2026, students claiming temporary accommodation must be able to demonstrate that they were paying for both their normal term-time accommodation and their temporary placement accommodation.
TDAE Advance Payments in 2026
Eligible students may also be able to request money towards placement expenses before incurring all the costs.
Available advance amounts can be up to:
- £200 For Travel
- £400 for Accommodation
- £600 for Travel and Accommodation Combined
To qualify, a student normally needs an approved Training Grant and at least one previously approved TDAE claim of the relevant type.
Undergraduate pharmacy and pre-registration healthcare science students who only qualify for TDAE are not eligible for the TDAE Advance Payment scheme.
Students must still submit their normal TDAE claim after the placement so the advance can be reconciled against the final entitlement.
NHSBSA currently aims to process standard TDAE claims within 20 working days after receiving the authorised claim from the university.
What Is the NHS Exceptional Support Fund?
The Exceptional Support Fund is designed for students experiencing genuine financial hardship that cannot reasonably be resolved through other available funding.
Students generally need an approved Training Grant and must normally have applied for available university hardship funding before approaching NHSBSA.
Applicants must provide financial information showing a shortfall between their income and reasonable day-to-day expenditure.
An award can be up to £3,000 per academic year, although receiving the maximum amount is not guaranteed.
The fund is not intended simply to compensate for general increases in the cost of living or replace Student Finance that a student has chosen not to claim.
How to Apply for NHS Learning Support Fund?
Applications are made through an NHS Learning Support Fund account.
The basic process is:
- Create An NHS LSF Account
- Activate The Account
- Apply For The Training Grant
- Upload Your Student Finance Evidence
- Apply For Parental Support If Eligible
- Access TDAE Or ESF Applications Once Eligible
- Check Your Account For Decisions And Payment Dates
Students should use the same NHS LSF account throughout their course. Creating duplicate accounts can delay processing.
You must apply again for the Training Grant each academic year.
NHS Learning Support Fund Application Deadlines
Applications generally need to be completed within six months of the start of the academic year.
Typical deadlines include:
| Course Cohort | Application Deadline |
| September | 31 March |
| October | 30 April |
| November | 31 May |
| January | 31 July |
| February | 31 August |
| March | 30 September |
| April | 31 October |
| May | 30 November |
| June | 31 December |
| July | 31 January |
TDAE claims must normally reach NHSBSA within six months of the last date of the placement being claimed for.
What Happens If You Change, Pause or Leave Your Course?
Changes to your studies can alter NHS LSF entitlement.
If a student interrupts or withdraws, the university provides NHSBSA with the last date of attendance. NHSBSA can then recalculate how much funding the student was entitled to receive.
If the student returns during the same academic year, a new NHS LSF application is not normally required.
If they return in a new academic year, they must reapply.
Students should also report course transfers because moving away from a specialist subject can affect entitlement to the £1,000 Specialist Subject Payment.
Any overpayment created following withdrawal, a course change or another eligibility change may need to be repaid.
What Happens to NHS LSF During Illness or Maternity Leave?
An authorised illness or injury absence lasting 60 days or less does not normally cause a student to be treated as absent from their course.
Longer absences require closer assessment. NHSBSA and the Department of Health and Social Care can consider continued funding where circumstances such as physical illness, mental ill health, bereavement or caring responsibilities disrupt a student’s studies.
Eligible students taking authorised maternity leave can receive a maternity award for up to 12 months. This can include the NHS LSF elements they would otherwise receive, except TDAE because TDAE relates to actual placement attendance.
Similar provision exists for qualifying adoption leave.
Does NHS Learning Support Fund Affect Student Finance or Benefits?
The £5,000 Training Grant is designed as additional support rather than a replacement for mainstream Student Finance.
Receiving the Training Grant does not reduce the Student Loan simply because the student has received NHS LSF.
However, students receiving Universal Credit or another social security benefit should not automatically assume NHS LSF will be ignored in every benefits calculation.
Treatment can depend on the benefit and individual circumstances, so students should check how their funding is treated by the organisation administering their benefit.
Is NHS Learning Support Fund the Same as the NHS Bursary?
No. They are separate funding arrangements.
| NHS Learning Support Fund | NHS Bursary |
| Mainly supports eligible nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare students | Primarily applies to eligible medical and dental students under separate rules |
| Works alongside mainstream student finance | Has its own bursary eligibility arrangements |
| Includes Training Grant, SSP, Parental Support, TDAE and ESF | Provides different allowances |
| Administered by NHSBSA | Also administered by NHSBSA |
Students should check which funding system applies to their exact profession, course and year of study.
Can You Appeal an NHS Learning Support Fund Decision?
Students have routes to challenge decisions or complain about how their case has been handled.
A complaint is appropriate where the concern relates to how NHSBSA handled an application or service.
A review should normally be requested where the student believes NHSBSA has incorrectly interpreted or applied the rules.
This could concern:
- A Funding Application Being Refused
- The Amount Awarded
- Funding Being Reduced
- Funding Being Suspended
- Funding Being Terminated
A request for review should generally be made within 28 days of the decision. If the student remains dissatisfied after the review, an appeal can be made to the Department of Health and Social Care, normally within 28 days of the review decision.
Conclusion
The NHS Learning Support Fund 2026/27 can provide valuable additional funding to eligible healthcare students in England, with the main Training Grant worth £5,000 per academic year and further help available for specialist subjects, dependent children, placements and exceptional financial hardship.
The scheme has expanded considerably since its early years, particularly following the introduction of the £5,000 Training Grant in 2020 and the later addition of placement support for pharmacy and healthcare science students.
Eligibility is not identical for every healthcare course, however. Students should check their exact programme, apply within the relevant deadline and keep their NHS LSF account and attendance information up to date throughout the academic year.
FAQs About NHS Learning Support Fund
How Much Is the NHS Learning Support Fund in 2026/27?
Eligible full-time students can receive a £5,000 Training Grant. Additional funding can include a £1,000 Specialist Subject Payment, £2,000 Parental Support, qualifying TDAE reimbursement and up to £3,000 through the Exceptional Support Fund.
When Is the NHS Learning Support Fund Paid?
For September and October 2026 starters, the main 2026/27 payment dates are 17 November 2026, 16 March 2027 and 20 July 2027. Other cohorts have different dates.
Do You Have to Pay Back the NHS Learning Support Fund?
Normally, no. NHS LSF grants are non-repayable when correctly awarded. However, students may need to repay money if they were overpaid or later found not to have been entitled to it.
Can You Get NHS LSF and Student Finance Together?
Yes. NHS Learning Support Fund is designed as supplementary financial support alongside mainstream student finance.
Can Part-Time Students Claim NHS Learning Support Fund?
Yes, eligible part-time students can receive support, but fixed annual allowances are generally paid at a pro-rata rate according to their course pattern.
Why Is My NHS Learning Support Fund Payment Late?
Common reasons include outstanding attendance confirmation, missing evidence, application delays, incorrect bank information or a different course-start payment schedule.
Can Pharmacy Students Get NHS Learning Support Fund?
Eligible undergraduate pharmacy students can access Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses, but they are not normally eligible for the other NHS LSF allowances through the pharmacy TDAE route.
