NHS Learning Support Fund
Applications for the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) open on 1 July 2020 for students undertaking an eligible healthcare course in autumn 2020. LSF is independent from all other student funding you may receive and needs to be applied for separately.
Learning Support Fund FAQ’s
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for this funding you must:
- Be applying for an eligible course in England
- Still be enrolled and attending your course on 1 November 2020
- Be able to prove your identity (photo ID) and residency status.
The Essex courses that meet the current eligibility criteria include Adult Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Oral Health Science Occupational therapy, Speech and language therapy and Physiotherapy.
How much will I get?
The minimum amount you will receive is £5000 each academic year and you do not need to pay this back unless you withdraw from the course or have received an over payment. An additional payment of up to £3000 may be awarded to students who are focusing on a particular healthcare specialism or region that struggles to recruit, or who need assistance for childcare costs. You do not need to apply for a funding uplift on the basis of specialism or region as LSF will calculate this automatically depending on the information you provide when you make your application. If you intend on applying for support with childcare costs you must do this separately after you have completed your initial funding application.
When will I get paid?
Payments are broken down into three instalments. The first instalment will be paid in November 2020 after LSF have confirmation that you are still in attendance on 1 November 2020. All further payment schedules can be accessed on your online account.
How do I apply?
You can’t apply until 1 July 2020 but there are a few things you can do to prepare for your application to help things run as smoothly as possible. If you are intending to apply for a student loan and have not yet done so, do this immediately as you can use your award notice as evidence of your identity and residency status. If you are not intending on applying for a student loan, you will need to provide photo ID and proof of your residency status so it’s a good idea to start getting those documents together. You will not need to post your documents as the new LSF system allows you to upload your documents as images from your phone.
On 1 July 2020 you should visit the LSF main web page to create an account. You will be issued with an activation code that is valid for 72 hours. If you do not activate your account in this time, your account will be suspended.
Once you have created an account, you will be asked to create an ‘academic year’ where you will enter your course and university details. It is essential that you input the correct information as this will be used to verify your attendance. Incorrect information may result in delayed payments.
Once you have submitted your application, you can track the progress and respond to any requests from LSF from your online account.
Most questions can be answered by looking in the LSF handbook, but LSF advisers are typically available for live chat on Facebook and Twitter between 10am-4pm Monday-Friday to assist you.
