Grants for Medical Students UK – Overview
Becoming a doctor of medicine is a dream for tens of thousands of students across the UK every year.
However, as medical school is not affordable for all many aspirants have to put their dreams of becoming a doctor on hold. To remedy this, you can choose to apply for grants for medical students in the UK.
Financing your medical school studies can stump you with its complicated nature. To help you find the best source for financing your medical education, we have enlisted the top sources below.
How to Get Grants for Medical Students UK?
The financing options to pursue medical education in the UK will mainly depend on:
- Your country of residence (domicile) and your duration of stay there
- The place you wish to pursue medical education in the UK, for instance, Wales, Scotland, England and Ireland or London City
- The year you begin your medical education
- Your age at the time of applying for grants for medical students the UK
- Previous educational qualifications
- Your status
- Your household income
Remember, in case your financial status improves during the pursuit of your medical studies then you need to have your entitlements reassessed or else you may have to pay back the grant amount in the future.
Where to get Grants for Medical Students in England?
There are three main organizations involved in providing grants for medical education in England:
1 – Student Loans Company (SLC) – The Student Finance England organization supports students with tuition fee loans, means-based maintenance loans and other types of financial help. This includes travel grants and allowances for disabled students.
2 – Colleges/Universities – Your chosen university or college which provides learning scholarships and hardship funds to deserving students. Such colleges and universities also offer grants, bursaries and academic prizes to help students get affordable higher education.
3 – National Health Services (NHS) – The NHS also offers tuition fee bursaries, non-means-tested maintenance grants, means-based maintenance grants, hardship grants and other types of financial aid, such as practice placement expenses and childcare allowance.
As an undergraduate, you can apply for the NHS grant during the fifth (5th) year of your medical school.
Previous to that, you can apply at Student Finance England every year for student loans that cover living costs and tuition fees. This facility is provided to medical students domiciled in England.
Where to get Grants for Medical Students in Wales?
Student Finance Wales, on behalf of the Welsh Government, offers to fund for students. Undergraduate students can receive up to GBP 9,250 per year to study at accredited colleges or universities across the UK.
Where to get Grants for Medical Students in Wales
Some other sources of grants for medical students in Wales include:
1 – Welsh Government Learning Grant (WGLG) – The majority of students can receive a mix of grants to cover the cost of living.
The exact amount of grant money will depend on your stated household income. However, most full-time students receive as much as GBP 1,000 as grant money.
2 – Special Support Grant – The Special Support Grant helps students to cover costs of travel, course equipment and books.
This grant is offered to students under specific circumstances, such as those struggling to meet the cost of education and who meet the specified eligibility criteria.
3 – Maintenance Loan – The Student Finance Wales organization offers a maintenance loan. The specified amount will depend on your household income, along with your parents’ or partner’s income.
This grant is mainly meant to cover the cost of living for medical students studying in the UK.
4 – NHS Bursary – The NHS also offers grants to medical students in Wales. This grant may cover the cost of their tuition fees and includes the non-means-tested grant of GBP 1,000.
Where to get Grants for Medical Students in Scotland?
The Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) offers grants for medical students in the UK. In Scotland, the tuition for your first degree is free, with the fees being borne by the SAAS.
However, you will need to apply for the SAAS grant which will be directly sent to your university. SAAS may even help cover the cost of medical education in other countries within the UK.
When you enroll in medical school for your second degree, irrespective of the course duration, you are ineligible for the complete grant.
However, you can apply for a SAAS grant that helps pay off tuition fees during your fifth year of medical school. This includes the intercalated year you may have chosen.
Where to get Grants for Medical Students in Northern Ireland?
Student Finance NI offers financial aid to students who live in Northern Ireland. This grant is managed by the Student Loans Company in collaboration with Student Finance Northern Ireland and the government.
The four main sources to get grants for medical students in Northern Ireland are:
1 – Student Finance NI – This grant is offered to cover the cost of tuition fees but not for graduate-entry students in undergraduate medical degree courses. This grant also covers the cost of living and is considered to be a means-tested maintenance loan.
2 – University – You may be able to receive financial aid and grants, including hardship grants, scholarships and bursaries along with academic prizes through your university too.
3 – Department of Health in Northern Ireland – This is a special monetary grant offered to medical students in their fifth (5th) year of college. This is a means-tested financial support bursary meant for medical and dental students studying in Northern Ireland.
This grant helps pay your tuition fees and also acts as means-tested maintenance support.
4 – Student Support Fund – The Student Support Fund helps students facing hardships to complete their medical education.
It includes two separate funds – the Department for Economy (DfE) Student Support Fund and the university’s hardship funding program.
Conclusion
There are significant sources to get grants for medical students in the UK. You may be eligible for one or more forms of financial aid while pursuing medical education in the United Kingdom.
It is highly advisable to consult with your mentor and counselor before deciding to apply for grants for medical students to study medicine in the UK.
Reference links:-
https://worldscholarshipforum.com/medicine-scholarships-uk/
https://rmbf.org/get-help/help-for-medical-students/
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/
https://www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk/scholarships-for-medical-students/
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