More support for student nurses and midwives

Nursing and midwifery students’ bursary will rise to £10,000, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced today.

All eligible students, who currently receive £6,578, will benefit from an interim increase to £8,100 in 2019/20, rising to £10,000 in 2020/21. This rise of £3,422 a year will help cover accommodation and living expenses during their studies.

In addition, care experienced students will move to £8,100 this financial year, an uplift of £1,522.

The First Minister said:

“Dedicated staff are crucial to our NHS and it is vital that we help support the nurses and midwives of the future during their training.

“That’s why I am announcing a three stage plan to increase the support we provide.

“This year, we will increase the bursary for care experienced student nurses and midwives to £8,100.

“Next year, the payment for all student nurses and midwives – care experienced or not - will rise to £8,100 a year.

“And, from the year after, every student nurse and midwife will get a bursary of £10,000 a year.

“We know the value of our NHS staff and we know the value of our Health Service. This extra funding will help make studying nursing or midwifery easier for those who want a career in our health service.”

 Background

The Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary (NMSB) provides financial support to eligible (Scottish domiciled) student nurses and midwives studying in Scotland. The core NMSB, which is non-means tested and non-repayable, has been set at £6,578 per year since 2009/10. 

In 2016 we launched an additional discretionary fund of at least £1 million to provide a ‘safety net’ for nursing and midwifery students in most need, and in 2017/18 we invested an extra £3 million per year to increase financial support for nursing and midwifery students with children or dependants.