Social work bursary for a degree or master’s

CONTENTS

1. Is there a bursary for social work students?

2. Is funding available for a master’s or first degree?

3. How much is the social work bursary per year?

4. Social work bursary and student finance

5. Are you eligible for the funding?

6. Applying for a bursary

7. How else to fund a social work qualification

Is there a bursary for social work students?

In short, yes – you can get financial support to qualify as a social worker, but it’ll depend on a few factors:

• Where you live – some UK nations only fund undergraduate degrees while others only fund master’s
• Whether you are eligible – based on where in the UK you live and possibly your previous qualifications
• Lastly, social work bursaries are limited in number – in England, only around one in six students benefit from them

The social work bursary is intended to help with course-related costs. With compulsory placements of 160–200 days, travel costs can be high. If you don’t get a bursary, you’ll need to find a way to fund these.

Is funding available for a master’s or first degree?

Students living in England can get a social work bursary for undergraduate or postgraduate study on an approved course anywhere in the UK.

If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland you’ll only get funding if you study a course in that nation. Scotland only supports master’s study, while Northern Ireland has an incentive solely for undergraduate degrees. However, graduates with a relevant first degree can take a fast-track route.

Availability of social work bursaries across the UK

How much is the social work bursary per year?

The amounts outlined below are for successful bursary applicants: not all students receive funding because there are quotas in place for each nation. The amounts normally stay the same from year to year. Postgraduates may get a tuition fee contribution; where course fees are more, they’ll need to fund the difference themselves.

In England

From Year 2 of their course, undergraduates can get a £4,862.50 grant for their living costs, which isn’t means tested (£5,262.50 if you study in London). This includes an allowance towards your placement expenses.

Postgraduates get £4,052 per year towards tuition fees, a basic bursary of £3,362 (£3,762 in London) plus a means-tested element of up to £2,721 (£4,201 in London). Students can also get income-assessed grants for childcare or if they support another adult financially. Some students may only be eligible for tuition fee support, depending on their residence history.

However, in England unsuccessful bursary applicants are also awarded support, with a placement travel allowance of £862.50 per year. This means it’s worth your while applying for a social work bursary if you live in England and you’re eligible. You’ll gain either the bursary, or money towards your placements.

In Wales

Undergraduates can get £3,750 per year of study (non-means tested), plus a travel allowance while on placement.

Postgraduates get £12,715 (non-means tested) each year to use towards tuition fees and living costs. They’ll also get a travel allowance for placements, and income-assessed grants for childcare or dependent adults.

In Scotland

For each year of study, master’s students get £3,415 towards tuition fees, a means-tested allowance, £500 for placement travel expenses, and income-assessed grants for dependents or childcare. The means-tested allowance is usually based on your parents’ income if you’re under 25. If you’re an independent student, you’ll be paid more.

In 2023, the Scottish Government was said to be reviewing social work funding after a campaign by undergraduates highlighted the extra costs they face during their placements.

In Northern Ireland

Those who qualify for the Student Incentive Scheme get an annual payment of £4,000 plus an allowance of £500 toward placement travel costs.

Disabled students

In all cases, if you’re disabled you can also apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance. This will fund extra expenses based on your needs and doesn’t need to be repaid.

Social work bursary and student finance

If you’re taking an undergraduate degree, you can get social work funding and continue to get student finance as normal for your tuition fees and living costs. The bursary won’t affect the amount of student finance you receive, or any dependents grants you claim.

For study at postgraduate level, you cannot get student finance if you have a social work bursary. In England, if you apply for a bursary but only get the placement travel allowance (PTA), you can still apply for a postgraduate loan. However, this process takes time. Some students choose not to apply for the bursary and simply apply for a loan, missing out on the PTA. In Scotland, even if you don’t get social work funding, you cannot get a postgraduate loan.

If you already have a first degree, in theory you can take a second undergraduate degree in social work and get student finance. This is because social work is one of the few subjects excepted from the ‘previous study’ rule. However, you’ll only qualify for a means-tested maintenance loan and will need to self-fund your tuition fees (unless you’re in Northern Ireland). With no guarantee of getting a social work bursary, this route is unlikely to be an option for most students.

Are you eligible for the funding?

• You can’t already have a social work qualification
• You must have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for at least three years before starting your course, and apply for social work funding from the nation where you live
• You must meet the other residence criteria outlined in our page on page on student finance eligibility
• If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland you must study in that nation (students from England can study anywhere in the UK)
• You must be taking an approved course which is eligible for funding
• You can’t be getting any payment from an employer towards your training, such as paid time off or your tuition fees paid
• In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland you’ll first need to register as a social work student with your nation’s regulator

And if you’re studying at postgraduate level:

• You can’t also have a postgraduate or master’s loan
• If you have a previous postgraduate-level qualification, it may affect your eligibility

Eligibility is one thing, but in most cases your chance of success ride on whether you’ll be nominated for a bursary by your uni. You may be assessed on your academic performance and commitment to social work as well as other factors. Some unis may operate on a first-come-first-served basis for postgrad students.

Social work bursary quotas can also change over time. This can mean a uni has more or fewer bursary places available from one year to the next.

Applying for a bursary

Although unis nominate students for a bursary, students must also apply to the funding body. The order in which this happens depends on the scheme where you live.

In England, students are encouraged to apply early. For postgraduates this could be as soon as you have the offer of a place on an eligible course – though it may take until autumn to learn if you’ve been successful. Applications are submitted via the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

In Wales and Scotland, only students nominated by their uni are invited to apply for a social work incentive. In Northern Ireland, once you have a confirmed place on a social work degree your higher education institution will forward an application pack to you.

The funding will be paid after your attendance on the course is confirmed. Living cost support or dependent grants will be paid direct to you in instalments, which may be two or three times a year. If your social work funding includes specific tuition fee contributions, these go direct to your uni.

Once you’re awarded a social work bursary you normally get it until the end of your course, depending on satisfactory progress. However, you must reapply each year to ensure continued payments.

How else to fund a social work qualification

If you’re employed in the sector, employer sponsorship could be an option. This can open up fast-track degree routes or Open University pathways.

If you live in England, you have a few other alternatives:

Graduate fast-track routes are offered Step up to Social Work, Frontline and Think Ahead (if you want to focus on mental health). These work-based postgraduate diplomas will pay you a tax-free bursary of £18,000–£20,000, depending on the programme and location of training. As you’d expect, competition for places on these programmes is intense! If you complete one of these specialist diplomas and intend to work in Scotland, you’ll need to meet further conditions to register as a social worker.

Degree apprenticeships are offered by some councils, giving you the chance to gain on-the-job skills in a work environment while studying for your degree. It also means you’ll be paid a salary and won’t be paying tuition fees.

Finally, you can gain two professional qualifications at once by studying a joint degree in Nursing and Social Work; these qualify for the NHS bursary rather than a social work bursary. You can find out about funding a nursing degree in our page on NHS funded courses.