If you’re charged excess travel or accommodation costs on a placement, you may be able to claim these.
In all cases, your claim is authorised by your university. If you’re unsure about your claim after reading the guidance, you must speak to your university.
Travel Costs
If it costs more to travel to and from your placement than it costs for your normal daily travel to university you can claim the difference.
If the daily return travel to the placement costs the same or less than it does to get to your university, you cannot claim any costs.
You should travel by the cheapest form of transport available where it is reasonably practical to do so.
If you choose to travel by another form of transport, you’ll only be reimbursed for the cheapest method of transport available.
Travel costs can include:
- public transport costs including travel passes
- mileage costs for a vehicle or bicycle
- community mileage if you must travel to other placement sites or to a patient’s home
- car, bicycle or motorised scooter hire
- parking or toll road charges
- ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) charges, if it's unavoidable to travel through the affected area
You must submit evidence of the costs such as receipts, permits or invoices.
For a travel pass, we’ll divide the total cost of the travel pass by the number of days you used it to attend the placement. The daily cost must be more than your normal daily return travel costs to university.
If you’re claiming for community mileage or car parking charges on their own, they must still be more than your daily return travel costs to university.
Car, bicycle or motorised scooter hire charges can be claimed if this was the cheapest form of transport to your placement.
The decision to approve the claim rests with your university. You cannot claim any extra costs for giving or receiving a lift to placement.
Travel rates
If your placement started after 1 September 2023, the reimbursement rates for travel expenses are:
- Bicycle - 30p per mile
- All motor vehicles - 42p per mile
Read our website for information about the rates for placements.
Attending a Blended course
If you’re attending a blended learning course, you do not need to deduct an amount for travel to university when claiming cost of travel to placement. This means you should receive the full cost of your placement travel. Your university will apply this rule when they submit your claim.