ESF is available to eligible students experiencing financial hardship during their studies who have exhausted all other means of funding.
You must have had your Training Grant application approved to apply for ESF.
You must also have applied to your university for any hardship or other available funding.
You can download the ESF application form from your NHS LSF account.
You must show there is a shortfall between your income and day to day expenses and explain what actions you’ve taken to ease your hardship. We’ll use your living costs to assess this. This will include any funds received from us, such as payments for:
- training grant
- parental support
- specialist subject payments
Cost of living increases alone are not a valid reason to claim ESF.
You can apply for ESF at any point throughout the academic year, there's no closing date.
ESF can be up to £3,000 per academic year.
If approved, the amount awarded will depend on your individual circumstances.
We use the information provided on your ESF application form and your supporting evidence to assess your claim.
If your partner is also claiming NHS LSF and wants to also claim, you must both apply and declare each other's income and expenses.
Guidance for completing your ESF application can be found on the NHS LSF website.
Income changes
ESF awards are based on your income at the time of your application. You do not need to inform us if your income increases.
If your income decreases, you can make a further application within the same academic year if you've not already received the maximum £3,000.