Student finance if your course starts on or after 1 January 2027
What extra financial help you can get
You may also be able to apply for extra financial help, for example:
- a grant or allowance if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children
- NHS funding or a bursary if you’re studying certain courses such as nursing or social work
You may also be able to apply for extra money from your university or college, such as a bursary, scholarship or hardship fund.
You do not usually need to pay back this extra funding.
Grants and allowances
You may be able to get:
- Disabled Students’ Allowance if you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty
- a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance if you have dependent children
- an Adult Dependants’ Grant if an adult depends on you financially
- a travel grant if you’re studying abroad or on a medical or dentistry placement and normally live in England
The amount you get usually depends on your household income except if you’re applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance.
How many credits you need to study
All courses which qualify for funding will be worth a certain number of credits. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits.
You need to be studying at least 120 credits in each course year to get:
- a Childcare Grant
- Parents’ Learning Allowance
- an Adult Dependants’ Grant
- a travel grant
You need to be studying at least 30 credits in each course year to get Disabled Students’ Allowance.
Your course year is a 12-month period that starts the first day of the month your course begins. If your full course takes longer than 12 months, each following course year starts on the same day and month as the first course year.
Course related funding
You can apply for:
- the NHS Learning Support Fund if you’re studying pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses
- NHS bursaries if you’re studying certain medical or dentistry courses
- social work bursaries if you’re a social work student
- teacher training funding