Student Finance funding
If you plan not to commit in advance to working in Wales post-qualification, you can still study a healthcare course in Wales and apply to fund your course via Student Finance.
If you opt out of NHS funding, you will need to register your decision with the NHS Wales Student Awards Service before applying for Student Finance.
Students on the following courses can usually apply for Student Finance funding:
- Diagnostic Radiography and Imaging (BSc)
- Occupational Therapy (BSc)
- Nursing (BN)
- Midwifery (BMid)
- Radiotherapy and Oncology (BSc)
- Physiotherapy (BSc)
- Dental Therapy and Hygiene (BSc)
- Dental Hygiene (DipHE)
- Pre-Registration Physiotherapy (MSc)
- Pre-Registration Occupational Therapy (MSc)
If you are an Irish citizen or an EU student please see below for further guidance.
How to apply
1. The first step is to register your decision to opt out of the NHS Wales Bursary on the NHS Wales Student Awards Service website. Use the link for ‘New Students’ and register for an account. On the registration page you will be asked if you want to commit to work in Wales and there will be an option to tick ‘No’.
The NHS Student Awards Service will send you an email with a unique code to confirm you have opted out of the NHS Wales Bursary. You need to provide this email to your Student Finance service.
2. The next step is to apply to the Student Finance service based on where you normally live in the UK prior to the start of the course. It is easier to apply on a PDF application (PN1 form as a new student). This will allow you to apply for everything on one form including tuition fees support and maintenance funding based on income.
An application form can be downloaded from your Student Finance service via the following links:
If you are normally domiciled in Scotland please check with the SAAS about how best to apply for funding for a course in Wales.
3. When you have your Student Finance Customer Reference Number, forward the NHS Wales SAS email with the unique opt out reference number to Student Finance to confirm you have opted out of NHS funding. This should ensure that your application is assessed as an opted out student, and allow you to access full student finance from them.
Students from Wales need to send this confirmation to bursary_opt_out_SFW@slc.co.uk
Students from England need to send this confirmation to bursary_opt_out_SFE@slc.co.uk
Include your name and Student Finance Customer Reference Number.
For Student Finance N Ireland and SAAS funded students please check with your funding authority that they have accepted the copy of the opt email sent with your application.
If you have already applied to Student Finance and only been offered a small, reduced rate Maintenance Loan
If you have already applied to your Student Finance body and not provided your NHS unique opt out code, they will assume you are getting NHS funding because that is the default setting for a healthcare course in Wales. You will therefore only be offered a reduced rate Maintenance Loan only – for Student Finance England this is £2,605 and for Student Finance Wales this is £5,360 in 2023/24.
If you are opting out of NHS funding, you should be able to access full funding from your Student Funding body instead.
You will need to make a full application for finance to your Student Finance body. In order to do this you need to:
- Provide your Student Finance body with your unique NHS opt out number (see steps above)
- Wait for that to be confirmed by your Student Finance body
- ONLY if you have an account with your Student Finance body already – you need to request to be means-tested for funding so that you can be assessed for the Maintenance Loan. You household income needs to be assessed. You do this by filling in and submit various online forms:
For Student Finance Wales account holders:
The SFW non means-tested to means-tested form 2023/24
The SFW Tuition Fee Loan request form
For Student Finance England account holders:
The SFE non means-tested to means-tested form 2023/24
The SFE Tuition Fee Loan request form – you will need to request this directly from SFE
Once you have completed your forms, you can upload them to your online account with Student Finance, or post them in.
When you have been fully assessed, you will receive a Financial Notification letter from your Student Finance body, which will set out the amount of Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan you are entitled to. Please check these amounts are correct.
Full Student Finance funding covers the following:
Wherever you live in the UK the funding available for tuition fees will be a Tuition Fee Loan via the Student Loan Company.
You can apply for a loan to cover the full cost of the fees. The loan is not income assessed.
You apply for the tuition fee loan as part of your online application through Student Finance.
Students eligible for home UK funding for maintenance can receive £11,720 per year regardless of income (rate for students who live in student accommodation or your own home). Funding is reduced in the final year of study.
Income will be assessed to determine how much of the £11,720 is a grant and how much is a loan.
For income at £18,370 or below the grant will be £8,100 and the loan will be £3,620. For income at £59,200 or more the grant will be £1,000 and the loan will be £10,720.
Funding is reduced if you live in your parental home while at university.
If you are single the income of parents is not assessed if you are aged 25 or over or you have children or you are estranged from your parents or you can demonstrate that you have supported yourself financially for three years prior to the course.
For more information about help with living costs visit Student Finance Wales.
Most of our healthcare courses have extra weeks of attendance. An additional amount of Maintenance Loan is available at £141 per extra week if you live in student accommodation. Term dates vary from year to year so the total additional Maintenance Loan available will also vary.
Lone parent students usually qualify for maximum funding.
Students eligible for home UK funding for maintenance can apply for a Maintenance Loan of up to £9,978 per year of study (rate for students who live in student accommodation or your own home). The amount of loan is reduced in the final year of study.
Income will be assessed to determine how much of a Maintenance Loan you can receive.
For income at £25,000 or below the loan will be £9,978.
For income at £62,250 or more the loan will be £4,651.
Funding is reduced if you live in your parental home while at university.
If you are single the income of parents is not assessed if you are aged 25 or over or you have children or you are estranged from your parents or you can demonstrate that you have supported yourself financially for 3 years prior to the course.
For more on help with living costs go to the Student Finance England website.
Most of our healthcare courses have extra weeks of attendance. Based on assessed income up to £39,796 an additional amount of Maintenance Loan is available at £107 per extra week if you live in student accommodation or your own home. Term dates vary from year to year so the total additional Maintenance Loan available will also vary.
If assessed income is above £39,796 the additional loan for extra weeks of attendance will be reduced.
Lone parent students usually qualify for maximum funding.
Cardiff is considered to be one of the most affordable UK cities to live in while you study. See our living cost calculator for the average cost of living in Cardiff as a full time, undergraduate student.
If you have studied previously in higher education, this may affect your eligibility and entitlement for further funding via Student Finance. Your eligibility for further funding will depend on where you normally live in the UK.
Students from Wales with a degree already are currently not eligible to apply to fund a healthcare course via Student Finance Wales.
Students from England with a degree already are eligible to apply via Student Finance England to fund a healthcare course at Cardiff University listed in the introduction.
If you are from Northern Ireland or Scotland and have studied previously in higher education, please check with your funding authority about your eligibility for further funding.
As part of your online application through Student Finance, you will be asked about any study you've undertaken previously in higher education.
There is the option to check with the Admissions Office for your course what support is provided to help with some course related costs such as placements and uniforms.
You apply for help with placement costs via the School.
Help for placement travel costs is based on the cost of a return journey from your home (term-time address) to the placement less the cost of the return journey from your home (term-time address) to Cardiff University i.e. your normal commute to attend university.
If you have to pay for accommodation at your placement location you can apply for help with this cost if you also incur accommodation costs for your normal term-time address.
You'll receive guidance on how to apply when you have enrolled.
If you require learning support related to a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty, there is an allowance that is not income-assessed and non-repayable that may help with associated costs of this support.
To find out more, please contact our Disability and Dyslexia team at studentconnect@cardiff.ac.uk.
You apply for the DSA via your Student Finance service.
A Student Finance Childcare Grant is available to help with registered childcare costs. Help is based on 85% of actual childcare costs up to a capped amount per week.
A Parents Learning Allowance is also available as a general source of extra help as a student parent.
To find out more about this support go to the Student Finance Wales or Student Finance England website depending on where you normally live.
The income of a spouse or partner will reduce the Childcare Grant and Parents Learning Allowance pound for pound after some disregards from income are taken into account.
Lone parent students usually qualify for maximum extra funding.
You can apply for an Adult Dependents Grant if you have a partner or spouse or another adult, perhaps someone you look after, who is financially dependent on you. How much grant you can get will depend on an assessment of your household income.
Usually students from the Channel Islands are not eligible to apply for Student Finance. The Channel Islands have their own system of funding. It is recommended that you contact the School of Healthcare Sciences Admissions Office or the Dental School Admissions Office for further advice about the application process for your course and what support if any the School may provide for some costs related to attendance on your course (E.g. placement costs, uniforms).
EU students starting courses on or after 1 August 2021 must have settled or pre-settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme to be eligible for home UK tuition fees status and to apply for student funding for tuition fees.
Irish citizens are eligible for home UK tuition fees status and can apply for student funding for tuition fees under the Common Travel Area arrangement.
Getting help
If you have any queries about funding for your course, please contact the Advice and Money team:
