Consultation on 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.

Our NHS workforce is the backbone of healthcare in Wales, and I am incredibly proud of the dedication, compassion, and innovation they bring to their roles every day. The future of this workforce begins with the education and training of our students, our future nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, dentists and doctors.

Earlier this year, I announced a £294 million investment in NHS training and education. This significant funding reflects our deep commitment to supporting the next generation of NHS professionals and ensuring they are equipped to deliver the best possible care for the people of Wales.

We know that to attract, support, and retain talented individuals in NHS careers, we must offer more than just training, we must offer opportunity, progression, and a clear demonstration that we value their contribution. That’s why the NHS Wales Bursary remains a cornerstone of our support for students.

While we face ongoing financial pressures and are not in a position to increase the overall bursary budget, we are actively exploring how we can use the existing funding more flexibly and effectively. Our goal is to ensure the bursary continues to provide meaningful financial support, acts as a strong incentive to study and work in Wales, and reflects our commitment to investing in our future workforce.

To do this well, we need your voice.

Whether you're a current student, an educator, a professional body, an NHS employer, or a graduate of the NHS Wales Bursary scheme, your insights and experiences are vital. I encourage you to share your views and help shape the future of the bursary, so that together, we can make Wales the destination of choice for NHS education and careers.

Thank you.

Jeremy Miles, MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

Each year, we invest significantly in supporting healthcare, medical, and dental students through the NHS Wales Bursary. We want Wales to be the destination of choice for students pursuing careers in the NHS, and the bursary plays a key role in achieving this.

This consultation aims to understand how the bursary influences students’ decisions to train and work in Wales, and how we can better support them throughout their education and transition into NHS careers. Your views are essential to help us identify priorities, address concerns, and shape a bursary scheme that remains relevant and effective.

While we hope to resolve some issues in the short term, others may take longer. We must also be realistic, financial pressures on the Welsh Government mean that any changes must be considered within existing budgets. The consultation will explore how we might be able to use allocated funding more effectively to incentivise, support, and retain NHS Wales Bursary students.

The current NHS Wales Bursary scheme was introduced in 2017. Since then, the educational landscape and cost of living have changed significantly. Feedback from students, educators, and correspondence with Welsh Ministers has highlighted growing financial pressures and the need to reassess the scheme’s effectiveness.

We recognise that students’ financial needs vary, school leavers may have different priorities than mature students. We want to explore whether greater flexibility can be built into the bursary to reflect these differences, and whether we could potentially use this funding differently to support future students in another way.

In addition, we are interested in your views on the following:

• eligibility across all NHS healthcare, medicine, and dentistry courses
• additional allowances and support to ensure they meet current needs
• terms and conditions, including household income thresholds
• accessibility of information and guidance

This consultation provides an opportunity for you to share your experiences, ideas, and perspectives to help shape a future bursary scheme that is fair, flexible, and fit for purpose.

Current NHS Wales Bursary arrangements are shown within the document and annexes for information.

The consultation will be open until 23 January 2026, after which the results will be fully analysed and will assist the Welsh Government to develop future policy recommendations based on responses.

An initial high-level summary will be available in February 2026, after which a fuller report will be issued in April 2026.

Student Finance 

Students who are ordinarily resident in Wales receive financial support from Student Finance Wales (SFW), while those from England receive support from Student Finance England (SFE). Both are managed by the Student Loans Company (SLC). Although support entitlements may vary between nations, healthcare students studying an eligible NHS Wales Bursary course at a Welsh institution can apply for NHS Wales Bursary funding through NHS Wales Shared Services (NWSSP)

NHS Wales Bursary

The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme offers support for 2 separate schemes which broadly have the same terms and conditions and payments but vary in length of the bursary and eligibility criteria:

1. medicine and dentistry students
2. healthcare students

Students undertaking a degree in medicine or dentistry can only access the NHS Wales Bursary in certain years of study. This approach aligns with the situation in England. During their studies, the student will receive statutory student support, with additional funding from the NHS Bursary available in specific years. 

Medicine and dentistry students are currently not required to commit to work in Wales following their graduation. This consultation will explore the potential to introduce this commitment, despite the complexity of implementation in relation to foundation training and wider workforce planning. A tie-in period or commitment is sometimes known as conditionality and the Welsh Government are also arranging an independent review to assess this, as well as gathering views via this consultation.

Please note that students receiving the NHS Wales Bursary do not repay the funding. In contrast, some of the monies provided by Student Finance Wales are in the form of a loan, which the student will repay over time after graduation (subject to earning levels, please refer to the link in Annexe 3 for further information, repaying your student loan).

Funding for a standard 5 year undergraduate degree

Medicine and dentistry students can apply for statutory student support during their first four years of study.

Students can only access the NHS Wales Bursary in their final year of study.

Student Finance Wales

Student Finance Wales funding (some of which is repayable) includes a:

• loan to cover tuition fees
• maintenance loan

NHS Wales Bursary

The NHS Wales bursary includes:

• full payment of tuition fees
• a non means tested grant
• a means-tested bursary

Students receiving the NHS Wales Bursary do not repay the funding.

Students taking the NHS Wales Bursary will also have access to the maintenance loan.

Note: for the purposes of the above, we have assumed the student is Welsh-domiciled, for example ordinarily resident in Wales, and will apply to Student Finance Wales for their statutory student support.

Note: Means Tested is subject to an assessment of household income and non-means tested means it is granted regardless of household income (see Annexe 3: Bursary Rates for NHS Means Tested Bursaries).

Funding for an accelerated 4 year undergraduate degree In medicine or dentistry

Students entering a 4 year graduate entry medicine or dentistry programme can access funding from the same sources, but the situation is a little more complex.

Funding in year 1

Student Finance Wales can provide a:

• loan to partially cover their tuition fees (with the remainder funded by the student)
• maintenance loan

The NHS Wales Bursary is not available during the first year of this programme.

Funding in years 2 to 4

Student Finance Wales can provide a:

• loan to partially cover their tuition fees (with the remainder funded by the NHS Wales Bursary)
• maintenance loan

NHS Wales Bursary can provide the following non-repayable grants:

• the remainder of tuition fees not covered by Student Finance Wales
• a non-means-tested grant
• a means-tested bursary.

Students taking the NHS Wales Bursary will also have access to the maintenance loan.

Note: for the purposes of the above, we have assumed the student is Welsh-domiciled, for example, ordinarily resident in Wales, and will apply to Student Finance Wales for their statutory student support.

Note: Means Tested is subject to an assessment of household income and non-means tested means it is granted regardless of household income (see Annexe 3 - Bursary Rates for NHS Means Tested Bursaries).

Healthcare students can access the NHS Wales Bursary, in return for committing to work in Wales for 2 years following graduation. Alternatively, they can choose to apply for statutory student support funding or self-fund. 

Funding received via the NHS Wales Bursary is not repayable, provided the student commits to work in Wales for up to 2 years following their graduation. In contrast, some of the funding provided by statutory student support is a loan, which the student will repay over time following their graduation and subject to earning levels (see the link in Annexe 3 for further information: Repaying your student loan).

Should the student decide not to remain working in Wales following their graduation having accepted an NHS Wales Bursary they will be required to pay their tuition fees back. Further details can be found at Annexe 3: General NHS Bursary Frequently Asked Questions for Healthcare Students.

Student Finance Wales

Student Finance Wales funding includes:

• a loan to cover tuition fees
• maintenance loan

NHS Wales Bursary

NHS Wales Bursary funding is non-repayable, providing the student commits to work in Wales for up to two years following graduation.

The NHS Wales bursary includes:

• full payment of tuition fees
• a non-means-tested grant
• a means-tested bursary

Students taking the NHS Wales Bursary will also have access to the maintenance loan.

Note: full time, eligible Welsh domiciled students are also able to access the full amount of maintenance loan, some of which is repayable, from Student Finance Wales, regardless of any bursary monies they may receive.

Note: Means Tested is subject to an assessment of household income and non-means tested means it is granted regardless of household income (see Annexe 3: Bursary Rates for NHS Means Tested Bursaries).

Note: for the purposes of the above, we have assumed the student is Welsh-domiciled,such as ordinarily resident in Wales, and will apply to Student Finance Wales for their statutory student support.

Question 1

Are you responding as an individual, or on behalf of one or more organisations or professional bodies?

Question 2

What is your age? (optional)

Question 3

Which gender description most closely matches how you identify? (optional)

Question 4

Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth? (optional)

Question 5

What is your ethnic group? (optional)

Question 6

In what capacity are you responding to this survey?

Question 6a

Are you currently a student studying at university?

Question 6b

Are you Welsh-domiciled as defined above (ordinarily resident in Wales)?

Question 6c

Are you studying in Wales?

Question 6d

What are you studying?

Question 6e

If you aren’t currently a student studying in university, please tick one of the boxes below that best describes your interest in the consultation.

Question 7a

If you answered ‘on behalf of another individual’ in Question 6e, please write in below on whose behalf you are responding.

Question 7b

If you answered ‘a healthcare or medical or dental profession’ in Question 6e, what is your profession?

Question 7c

If you answered ‘on behalf of an organisation’ in Section One, on whose behalf are you answering the survey?

Question 8

Do you agree with this requirement to work in Wales after graduation?

Question 9

Do you agree or disagree medical and dental students should continue to be exempt from this work-in-Wales requirement?

Question 10

Do you agree or disagree the current commissioning process is an effective way to plan and fund healthcare training in Wales?

Question 11

Do you agree or disagree that offering something instead of the NHS Wales Bursary could be a better option for attracting and retaining healthcare professional students to Wales?

Question 12

Do you agree or disagree that all the healthcare courses listed in Annexe 1 should continue to offer the NHS Wales Bursary?

Question 13

Do you agree or disagree that the NHS Wales Bursary should offer more flexible financial support for students to reflect these different circumstances? For example, giving students a choice between non-repayable funding while they study, or a one-off payment (like a starting-your-career incentive payment) if they commit to working in NHS Wales after graduating?

Question 14

Do you agree or disagree it’s easy to access information and advice about the bursary right now?

Question 15

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about the NHS Wales Bursary, including your experiences where appropriate? 

Allied health professional courses

Dietetics

Course type: BSc – full time

Current providers:

• Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Wrexham University

Course type: *PG Dip – full time

Current provider:

• Cardiff Metropolitan University

Occupational Therapy

Course type: BSc – full time

Current providers:

• Cardiff University
• Wrexham University
• Swansea University

Course type: BSc – part time

Current providers:

• Wrexham University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Course type: *PG Dip/MSc – full time

Current provider: Cardiff University

Paramedic Science

Course type: BSc – full time

Current providers:

• Wrexham University
• Swansea University

Physiotherapy

Course type: BSc – full time

Current providers:

• Cardiff University
• Wrexham University

Course type: *BSc – part time

Current provider:

• University of South Wales

Course type: *PG Dip/MSc – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff University

Podiatry

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Cardiff Metropolitan University

Speech and Language Therapy

Course type: BSc – full time

Current providers:

• Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Wrexham University

Health science courses

Audiology

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Cardiac Physiology

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Clinical Engineering (Rehabilitation and Medical Engineering)

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Diagnostic Radiography

Course type: BSc – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff University

Life Science: Blood, Infection, Cellular and Genetics

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Cardiff Metropolitan University

Neurophysiology

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Nuclear Medicine

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Radiotherapy Physics

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Operating Department Practice

Course type: BSc – full time

Current providers:

• Wrexham University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Radiotherapy and Oncology

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Cardiff University

Respiratory and Sleep Science

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Nursing and midwifery courses

Adult

Course type: BSc/BN – full time

Current providers:

• Aberystwyth University
• Bangor University
• Cardiff University
• Wrexham University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Course type: BSc/BN – part time (part time bursary available however most students are NHS employed with salary backfill funding)

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Course type: *MSc/PG Dip – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff University
• Wrexham University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Child

Course type: BSc/BN – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff University
• Wrexham University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Course type: *MSc/PG Dip – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff University
• Wrexham University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Mental Health

Course type: BSc/BN – full time

Current providers:

• Aberystwyth University
• Bangor University
• Cardiff University
• Wrexham University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Course type: BSc/BN – part time (part time bursary available, however most students are NHS employed and will be secondees)

Current provider:

• Swansea University

Course type: *MSc/PG Dip – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff University
• Wrexham University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Midwifery

Course type: BSc/BN – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Learning Disability

Course type: BSc/BN – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales

Distance Nursing

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Bangor University

Other courses

Dental Hygiene and Therapy

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider:

• Cardiff University

Dental Therapy

Course type: BSc – full time

Current provider

• Bangor University

Dental Hygiene

Course type: HE Cert – full time

Current providers:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff University

Physician Associate

Course type: *MSc/MPAS – full time

Current providers:

• Swansea University
• Bangor University

Note: Individuals undertaking a MSc/PG Dip level course or a part-time course (as marked with *) will have access to the NHS bursary package, but no access to the undergraduate (UG) maintenance loan or postgraduate loan for Master’s degrees from Student Finance Wales.

The following provides a simplified version of how the Annual Education and Training Commissioning Plan is developed. 

As the education commissioner for the NHS Wales non-medical workforce, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) advises the Welsh Government each year of the number of healthcare training places required to meet current and future NHS Wales workforce need. This includes both undergraduate and post graduate professional education. 

Health Boards and Trusts submit their plans; these plans outline their workforce and training needs for the next few years.

• The Welsh Government reviews the plan: To ensure they align with national priorities and workforce needs.
• HEIW uses workforce plans to establish how many training places are required each year to meet the needs of the non-medical healthcare professional workforce. They create a draft plan following analysis and stakeholder engagement. This plan is based on the needs identified in the Health Boards’ submissions.
• Welsh Government reviews the draft plan: We check for any issues, ask questions, and gather feedback from professional leads for Health.
• Revisions are made: The plan may go through several changes based on feedback and funding availability.
• Final checks and budget approval: We compare the plan with previous years and confirm the budget with finance colleagues.
• Ministerial approval: Once everything is agreed, the plan is sent to the Cabinet Secretary for approval.
• Publication.
• Once approved: HEIW publishes the final plan, and a public statement is issued.
• Next steps: HEIW then contracts with the education sector to deliver the training based on the numbers and budget agreed.

The below are useful links for additional information:

• general guidance plus additional links for healthcare students (Health Education and Improvement Wales)
• general NHS Wales bursary: frequently asked questions for healthcare students (Health Education and Improvement Wales)
• NHS Wales bursary: terms and conditions (Health Education and Improvement Wales)
• disabled students’ allowance: frequently asked questions
• childcare allowance: guidance
• NHS Wales bursary: frequently asked questions for medical and dental students
• suspensions / withdrawals / returners / maternity / extensions: frequently asked questions
• application process and evidence: frequently asked questions
• payment queries: frequently asked questions
• bursary rates for NHS means tested bursaries
• additional allowances (dependents and parent learning): frequently asked questions
• Student Finance Wales website
• repaying your student loan (GOV.UK)

Submit your comments by 23 January 2026, in any of the following ways:

• complete our online form
• download, complete our response form and email: nhsbursary@gov.wales
• download, complete our response form and post to:

NHS Wales Bursary 
Workforce Innovation, Workforce and Corporate Support Division
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

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Cathays Park
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CF10 3NQ

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