Student funding/expenses
Additional funding support is available to healthcare students (including dietetic students). Eligible students include those who are able to apply for funding through the Learning Support Fund (LSF).
The funding includes:
- a non-repayable payment of £5,000 to eligible students each academic year
- additional payments worth up to a total of £3,000 per academic year for students in specialisms or regions struggling to recruit or to help students cover childcare costs
Eligible students should continue to apply for the LSF as needed. Further information about the LSF is provided below.
Further information is available from here. You may also wish to get updates via:
Facebook: /LearningSupportFund
Twitter: @NHSBSA_LSF
Placement-related expenses
For students to be able to apply for reimbursement for their placement expenses, they must be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loan
support from the Student Loans Company.
It is the student's responsibility to check the relevant guidance documents and to use this information when planning placement accommodation and travel - there are specific rules governing costs that are deemed reasonable. Expense claims can be submitted at the end of placement, but an additional claim can also be made half-way through placement.
Learning Support Fund (LSF)
This fund is for students who started studying in September 2017 or after.
The Learning Support Fund supports claims for dual accommodation expenses, travel and childcare. For further information, please follow the link below:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/learning-support-fund
The Exceptional Support Fund is also available for students who are experiencing severe financial hardship (and who have exhausted all other means of funding). For these students, a means-tested grant of up to £3000 per academic year may be awarded:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/learning-support-fund/exceptional-support-fund
For students with parental responsibility for a dependent child, a grant of £1000 per academic year is available from the Child Dependants Allowance. 'Dependent children' are classified as children under the age of 15 years or under 17 years (if they are registered as having special educational needs):
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/learning-support-fund/child-dependants-allowance
Making a Claim
(Please note that Kathy Lawson only deals with placement expense claims for UoN Dietetic students. All other UoN healthcare students must contact their student services centre.)
The following information applies to claims from the NHS and the Learning Support Fund:
- It is the student's responsibility to check the rules on the placement expenses that can be claimed.
- Keep all original receipts and evidence relating to placement accommodation, travel and parking expenses (as applicable).
- Submit your claim using your unique 'SSRN' number through the NHSLSF portal.
Students can access information to support their understanding of funding, claims and eligibility via the NHSBSA Hub: NHSBSA Student Services - Student Support
Dietetic Practice Education