You may be able to apply for NHS LSF if you’re studying on a pre-registration undergraduate or postgraduate healthcare course which leads to professional registration in:
- nursing including adult, child, mental health, learning disability, joint nursing and social work
- midwifery
- dietetics
- dental Therapy or Dental Hygiene level 5 and 6 courses
- occupational therapy
- orthoptics
- orthotics and prosthetics
- physiotherapy
- podiatry or chiropody
- radiography including diagnostic and therapeutic
- speech and language therapy
- operating department practitioner
- paramedicine - Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) or Foundation (FD) courses are not eligible
Foundation years are not funded.
From the 2025/26 academic year, if you’re studying undergraduate pharmacy or pre-registration healthcare science courses, you can claim reimbursement towards practice placement expenses through the Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) element of NHS LSF.
You're not eligible for any other NHS LSF allowances.
If you’re studying these courses as a second degree your eligibility will be assessed on a case by case basis.
Second degrees
If you're taking a second degree you may be eligible for NHS LSF. You must qualify for a maintenance loan and tuition fee support from the Student Loans Company.
You must not already be professionally registered in the profession of the subject you're studying.
Read more about NHS LSF on our website.
If you’ve completed your course and are starting an NHS LSF funded course at a new university, your old university may need to complete a Change Request. This is to confirm you’ve completed your first course.
Paramedicine
Since the 2022/23 academic year, students studying paramedicine as a second degree can have their eligibility assessed on a case-by-case basis. This is if they're not eligible for tuition fees or maintenance loan support because they have an equivalent or lower-level qualification.
Students attending a paramedic course in 2020/21 or 2021/22 could not claim NHS LSF because they were not able to get a student loan.
City St. Georges’, University of London
City - University of London and St. George’s - University of London have merged. Their new name is City St George’s, University of London.
You must apply using the new university details.
Open University
Some Open University blended Adult Nursing courses are funded.
These are based at:
- Middlesex
- Oxford
- Torbay and South Devon
- University of the West of England (UWE)
From March 2026, students on some employment based Open University courses at Milton Keynes are eligible for the NHS LSF. These are:
- Adult Nursing
- Child Nursing
- Mental Health Nursing
- Learning Disability Nursing
Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing courses are eligible to apply from the October cohort in the 2025/26 academic year.
You must upload your employment contract as part of your application.