2023 Funding for UK Medical Students

Medical course funding

The funding available is very different for each course, and also varies by where you are from, whether you choose to be financially assessed, and the year of the course you are in. You should be aware of what funding, if any, is available to pay your course fees and help support your living costs during each year of your course.

The regional funding agency figures below may be subject to inflationary changes in future years.

Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals living in the UK or Ireland, and other students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland who have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may qualify for Home fee status and student finance from the UK government, and therefore they may also be eligible for an Oxford Bursary, if they meet the residence requirements.

Six-year course for students with no previous undergraduate degree (A100)

Years 1 - 4

During the first four years of the six-year medicine course, government support is available through your relevant funding agency. Support for living costs is available to UK students on the same basis as all other Home undergraduate students.

UK students will be eligible for an Oxford Bursary or Crankstart Scholarship based on household income and will need to apply to be means-tested to be considered for this.  

Years 5 - 6

In years five and six, course fees are paid in full by the relevant funding agency:

• The National Health Service (NHS) for students from England and Wales
• The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for students from Scotland
• The Department of Health (DoH) for students from Northern Ireland

UK students can also access a maintenance loan from their regional funding agency, but this will be at a reduced rate for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland who can apply for a means-tested NHS or DoH bursary in years five and six. Students from England and Wales are also eligible for an additional non means-tested NHS grant of £1,000.

Students from Scotland will continue to be eligible to be assessed for the means-tested maintenance loan and grant available to them in years one to four.

UK students will continue to be eligible for an Oxford Bursary or Crankstart Scholarship based on the latest household income assessment provided.

* Full details of support not yet confirmed for 2023/24.

Further details on the funding available to students from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are available from your regional funding agency:

• Student Finance Northern Ireland
• Student Awards Agency Scotland
• Student Finance Wales

See also: NHS Student Bursaries

Graduate-entry medicine: four-year course for students with an undergraduate degree in an experimental sciences subject (A101)

Year 1

During the first year of the four-year medicine course, government support is available through your relevant funding agency. Students from England and Wales are eligible to apply for a fee loan to cover some of their course fees. Students from Northern Ireland and Scotland are required to self-fund the full amount of their course fees.

UK students will be eligible for an Oxford Bursary based on household income and will need to apply to be means-tested to be considered for this. 

* Full details of support not yet confirmed for 2023/24.

Further details on the funding available to students from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are available from your regional funding agency:

• Student Finance Northern Ireland
• Student Awards Agency Scotland
• Student Finance Wales

Years 2 - 4

During years two to four of the graduate-entry medicine course, students from England and Wales are eligible to apply for help from the NHS and their regional funding agency towards their course fees. Students from Northern Ireland and Scotland are required to self-fund the full amount of their course fees. 

UK students can also access a maintenance loan from their regional funding agency, but this will be at a reduced rate for students from England and Wales who can apply for a means-tested NHS Bursary in years two to four. Students from England and Wales are also eligible for an additional non means-tested NHS grant of £1,000. Students from Northern Ireland and Scotland will continue to be eligible for the means-tested maintenance loan available to them in year one.

UK students will continue to be eligible for an Oxford Bursary based on the latest household income assessment provided.

* Full details of support not yet confirmed for 2023/24.

See also: NHS Student Bursaries