Ordinary Residence is defined as habitual and normal residence from choice and for a settled purpose throughout the prescribed period, apart from temporary or occasional absences.
To be eligible for an NHS Bursary, you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the 3 years before the start of your course.
Students who ordinarily reside in the Isle of Man or Channel Islands are not eligible to receive NHS Bursary funding. You must ask your own education authority to apply for financial support.
If you’ve not been ordinarily resident in the UK but have been an ordinarily resident in the EU, you may qualify for a tuition fees only award.
If you've had an absence from the UK or EU during this period, such as a gap year or studies abroad, you may still be eligible for funding if the absence is deemed temporary.
You must answer ‘no’ in your application when asked if you have been ordinarily in the UK in those 3 years as part of the ‘Personal Eligibility’ section. You must provide evidence showing the absence was temporary.
Parents or partner in the Armed Forces
If you were living overseas because either you, your parents, or partner were a member of the UK armed forces and they were obliged to accept an overseas posting, this can automatically be classed as temporary absence providing the necessary evidence is provided.
Members of the British Army, Navy, or Royal Air force and their children and spouses satisfy the temporary employment provision because they’re bound by military law to accept overseas postings.
This exemption does not include armed forces personnel who are not engaged on active service such as teachers or other support staff as these are not under the same compulsory requirement to work abroad.
It does not include reservists for Territorial Army and Naval Reserves or their families.