Bruno Rushforth, Anja Weidmann, and Liz Kingston guide you through the maze of funding options for medical students in the United Kingdom
Studying medicine can be an intellectual and emotional challenge. What's more, the financial demands of a five or six year degree mean that medical students often graduate with substantial debts. Although money can be a worry for any student, medical students are often hardest hit with additional costs for courses and travel, and reduced opportunity for extra income during the long academic year. In this article we hope to offer you some guidance about the sources of financial help available to students.
THE BASICS
Most medical students (those starting their degree in September 1998 or after) will now be studying under the system of student loans and tuition fees. Students starting before September 1998 are funded under the old means tested grants plus limited government loans arrangements. These are known as mandatory students.
The information in this article applies to students starting in September 1998 or after. See www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport/
students/index.shtml regarding funding under the old grants plus loans arrangements.
TUITION FEES
As a British student, for the first four years of the medical course you will have to pay up to £1100 in tuition fees each year. Your local education authority (LEA), or students' award agency for Scotland (SAAS) for Scottish students, will assess the level of your parents' or your spouse's (or your own) income. If this is below their set threshold you will qualify for support towards your tuition fees to cover all or part of the cost of the fees.
From September 2002, in recognition of the extra costs incurred by students taking longer courses, medical students from the fifth year year onwards will be eligible for an NHS bursary, which pays your tuition fees (see below for more on the NHS bursary).
General information about student funding can be found at www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport/students/index.shtm. Also, contact your own LEA or SAAS for more information.
STUDENT LOANS
When you are assessed for tuition fees support, you will also be assessed for government student loans. Every medical student will be eligible for at least 75% of the full student loan, but the remaining 25% is means tested. A maximum of £3815 every year (more in London) is available for students not living at home, with an added amount available for extra weeks of study (anything in excess of 30 weeks and three days in one academic year).
Student Loans Company: www.slc.co.uk
HARDSHIP LOANS OR FUNDS
If you are having financial problems you can apply for additional sources of funding, including:
(1) Hardship loans: up to £500 can be added on to your current student loan
(2) Hardship funds: can be obtained from your university if you have received a hardship loan and are still experiencing difficulties.
TRAVEL COSTS
You may also be entitled to help with travel costs incurred during your clinical training. Additional costs over £260 each year may be refunded on a means tested basis by your LEA or SAAS. Contact your LEA for more details.
Contacting your LEA: www.dfes.gov.uk/leas/
COUNCIL TAX EXEMPTION
As a full time student you will be exempt from paying council tax. You will need to have a certificate of exemption from your university.
WELFARE & ADVISORY SERVICES
Your students' union can give advice and help you apply for student loans or identify local sources of funding. Most students unions have a welfare officer who can help.
NHS BURSARIES
Medical students who started their course in September 1998 or thereafter, will be eligible for NHS bursaries and will not have to pay contributions to their tuition fees in their fifth year of study or beyond. Different arrangements apply to those studying on one of the fast track four year courses. Contact your NHS Student Grants Unit for details. For students on six year courses or those who have intercalated on a five year course this entitles you to support for your final two years.
The NHS bursary pays your tuition fees (not means tested) and also has a maintenance grant component (means tested). You are also still entitled to half the usual government student loan (not means tested). Eligibility for the bursary also entitles you to apply for extra weeks' allowance and other allowances; if you are a mature student, have dependants, are a single parent, have a disability, or have to pay clinical costs while on placement. These added allowances are subject to means testing.
The means tested NHS bursary rate depends on the number of weeks in your academic year, ranging from £2148 for a 30 week course to £3666 for a 45 week course. (£2640 to £4620 in London). These rates apply to English students not living in their parents' home. You are still eligible for the NHS bursary even if you have previously attended a higher education course and received public support for that purpose. Different rates apply for students from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The NHS bursary is available for the first time in August/September 2002 (although fast track four year courses have been eligible for NHS bursaries before this) and consequently there seems to be a fair amount of confusion in both the universities and the LEAs. Application forms should be sent to eligible students along with your usual assessment form for loans or tuition fees. If you do not receive this form but think that you are eligible you should contact your LEA, the NHS Executive, or one of the awards agencies below. Limited details so far have been published in the Department of Health document Financial Help for Health Care Students, which is available online (www.doh.gov.uk/hcsmain.htm).
Please see the correction at the bottom of the article
- In England: NHS Student Grants Unit--Room 212c, Government Buildings,Norcross, Blackpool FY5 3TA (Tel: 01253 333 314 or 01253 655 655)
- In Wales: NHS (Wales) Student Awards Unit--2nd floor, Golate House, 101 St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1DX (Tel: 029 2026 1495)
- In Scotland: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland--Gyle House, 3 Redheughs Rigg, South Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9HH (Tel: 0131 476 8212; www.student-support-saas.gov.uk)
- In Northern Ireland: Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, 4th Floor Adelaid House,
39-49 Adelaid Street, Belfast BT2 8FD (Tel: 028 9025 7777; www.nics.gov.uk/ainhfe.htm)
- NHS funding: NHS Student Grants Unit (Tel: 01 253 338 721) or NHS Executive (Tel: 0113 2546137)
MAKING YOUR MONEY STRETCH
Help with health costs
People on a limited income may be entitled to help with health costs, such as prescriptions and dental treatment, through the NHS low income scheme. You will need to fill out a HC1 form to find out what help you could get with prescriptions. Forms are available from your local hospital, post office, or social security office or online (www.doh.gov.uk/nhscharges/fp95.htm). For general help with help costs, have a look at NHS booklet HC11--Help with health costs (www.doh.gov.uk/nhscharges/hc11.htm).
Student discounts
If your university is a member of the National Union of Students, a large number of companies give discounts on their products, from HMV and Virgin to WH Smith and PC World. The conditions vary from each shop, but on average participating stores offer 10% discount. More details from:
- www.studentpages.com
- www.studentuk.com
- www.nusonline.co.uk
COMMERCIAL & PROFESSIONAL LOANS
Loans for professional studies
Many of the high street banks offer a form of loan for professional studies to medical students, which can be available from the second year of study onwards (depending on circumstances).
It is best to phone round the different banks to find which loan is best suited to your needs. Different banks allow you to borrow different amounts, and the amount you can borrow may depend on your year of study or what you are using your loan for. Look out for which loans have the lowest rates of interest. Special loans are available for students going on elective.
EDUCATIONAL TRUSTS & CHARITIES
General
Many charities and trusts provide a variety of sponsorship or bursaries for students every year. The requirements for eligibility are often varied and can be obscure. Several books catalogue various sources of financial help, and these can be found in most libraries. If you have the time and energy, it is well worth looking through them. Harland S, Griffiths D, The Educational Grants Directory 2000/2001. London: Directory of Social Change, 2000. Chapman MD, Rios C, eds. The Charities Digest 2002. London: Waterlow Professional Publishing, 2001. Heap B. University scholarships and awards 2001. Richmond: Trotman, 2000. Theodorou R, Sponsorship for Students: 1999. Cambridge: Hobsons, 1998
Medical awards and competitions
The royal colleges and many other professional medical associations have awards available for medical students, usually to encourage interest in their specialty. Often these take the form of essay writing competitions. Closing dates for submission fall throughout the year (although many seem to be set for February or March).Alternatively you may be able to apply for an award to support a particular project.
Some associations who set competitions:* British Association of Dermatologists: www.bad.org.uk
- Medical Women's Federation: http://mwfonline.org.uk/medicalstudents.php
- Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Diseases (MSSVD): www.mssvd.org.uk/awards.htm
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists: www.-rcog.org.uk
- Royal College of Ophthalmologists: www.rcophth.ac.uk/education/travel.html
- Royal Society of Medicine: www.rsm.ac.uk/students/studprizedetail.htm#brighay
Funding electives
Going on your elective is recognised as constituting a major expense, and, as above, many specialist organisations have awards available.
Star site: www.medicsworld.co.uk lists various organisations with awards for electives (you need to register on the site first, but this is free).
Also try discussion forums such as www.doctors.org.uk for useful advice.
Action points
- Check with the student support officer at your LEA to ensure you are receiving the appropriate level of tuition fee support and student loan. Ask specifically about help with travel costs and the NHS bursary
- Apply for the hardship loans, access funds, and university scholarships
- Look at the DfES website for details of student support: www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport
- Look at the Department of Health website for details of NHS bursaries: http://www.doh.gov.uk/hcsmain.htm
- The NUS website has some great information sheets about all aspects of student finance from budgeting to dealing with debt. They can be printed out from www.nusonline.com under the money section of the advice page
- Research educational grants that you can apply for via the Educational Grants Advisory Service on 020 7254 6251 (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 10 am-12 pm, and 2 pm-4 pm)
- Contact the BMA for their information document Finance for Medical Students and for a list of specific charities offering funds to medical students: 020 7387 4499
- Keep an eye out for competitions, awards, and bursaries posted by the undergraduate offices in each hospital or on notice boards in your medical school.
We hope that this information will help you navigate your way through the maze of funding options for medical students. Good luck!
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to present accurate, up to date information, the authors urge you to consult the relevant bodies for the latest information about your own individual financial circumstances and eligibility criteria.
If you have information that would help us to update this article, please email it tob.j.rushforth@stud.man.ac.uk.
This article is based on an information document produced by AW and BR on behalf of the Manchester BMA Students Committee, which itself was based on a document produced by LK on behalf of Liverpool BMA Students Committee.
Bruno Rushforth third year medical student, b.j.rushforth@stud.man.ac.uk
Anja Weidmann third year medical student, Manchester University Medical School
Liz Kingston fourth year medical student, Liverpool University Medical School
Competing interests: BR and LK are the BMA student reps for their medical schools and have promoted the NatWest/BMA Professional Trainee Loan Scheme.
Correction
We award £20 for the letter of the month!
email: studenteditor@bmj.com
Remember that all letters must be under 400 words, will be edited, and may be shortened. We only publish
letters accompanied by the author's name, position or year of study, and
full address, telephone number, and/or email. We do not acknowledge letters.
