Considering future options for the NHS Wales bursary scheme

Shaping the future of the NHS Wales bursary scheme

Since its launch in 2017, the current NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, managed by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) since 2018, has supported over 15,500 healthcare students to complete their studies and join the NHS workforce in Wales. That’s something we’re incredibly proud of.

But times have changed.

While the bursary continues to offer vital financial support, it hasn’t been reviewed for some time. A key update in the 2024 to 2025 academic year allowed eligible, full-time Welsh-domiciled students to access the full amount of maintenance loan, an important step forward. However, we know we need to go further.

We’re now looking ahead. What should the future NHS Wales Bursary Scheme look like?

We want a scheme that:

• meets the diverse needs of students, whether they’re school leavers or mature learners
• provides meaningful financial support
• encourages graduates to stay and work in NHS Wales

To get this right, we need your input.

We’re calling on students, recent graduates, educators, trade unions, professional bodies, and others to help shape a bursary that truly supports the future NHS Wales workforce.

Note: Students apply for statutory student finance through their home nation. While we can influence that support for Welsh-domiciled students, we can’t change what’s offered by other UK nations. The NHS Wales Bursary remains available to those studying and committing to work in Wales for up to 2 years after graduation.

Note: Where this document refers to ‘Healthcare Students’ it is referring to pre-registration Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health Professional, Healthcare Scientist, Physician Associate, or Dental Hygiene and Therapy students.