Social work bursary for a degree or master’s in 2026

CONTENTS

1. Are there any bursaries for studying social work?

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

3. How much is an NHS social work bursary?

4. Social work bursary and student finance

5. Who qualifies for a bursary?

6. Applying for a bursary

7. How else to fund training as a social worker

Are there any bursaries for studying social work?

In short, yes – you can get extra funding to help you 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 degrees.
• Whether you are eligible – based on where in the UK you live and possibly your previous qualifications.
• Lastly, these bursaries are limited in number – in England, only around one in six students receives one.

The bursary is meant 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. In England, there are other options such as the Frontline social work programme – we look into these at the foot of this article.

Be aware that the amounts offered for social work bursaries rarely increase. Also, if you are a postgraduate student and receive social work funding, you may be ineliglble for loan support.

To help you find the best university for qualifying as a social worker, don't forget to check our subject table and university profiles to find the best university to meet your needs. If you're an undergraduate, sign up to our Uniselect tool to make shortlisting easier.

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

• Students living in England can get an NHS 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 offers a bursary for master’s study; a placement grant is available to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Northern Ireland has an incentive solely for undergraduate degrees – but graduates with a relevant first degree can take a fast-track undergraduate degree.

Availability of a social work bursary across the UK

How much is an NHS social work bursary?

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 higher, they’ll need to fund the difference themselves.

In England

From Year 2 of the course, the NHS bursary offers undergraduates the following.

• If you study outside London, you will receive a grant of £4,862.50 for your living costs.
• If you study in London, the grant is £5,262.50.
• The grant isn’t means-tested – in other words, you will receive the full amount.
• The grant includes an allowance towards your placement expenses.
• Undergraduates can access income-assessed grants for childcare as part of their normal student finance support.

From Year 1, postgraduates get:

• £4,052 per year towards course tuition fees.
• If you study outside London, you will receive a basic bursary of £3,362, plus a means-tested element of up to £2,721.
• If you study in London, the basic bursary is £3,762, and the means-tested element is up to £4,201.
• Postgraduate 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.

In England, unsuccessful NHS social work 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 the funding 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 funding of £3,750 per year (non-means-tested), plus a travel allowance while on placement.

Postgraduates on a two-year master’s get a non-means-tested bursary of £12,715 per 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

Postgraduates on a two-year master’s programme can apply for social work funding of:

• £5,000 for course fees, paid to your university
• £6,000 for living costs.
• Discretionary allowances, if you have children, caring responsibilities, or are disabled.

You’ll only qualify for this funding if you live in Scotland and your household income is £34,000 or less. You must also study an eligible course at a university approved for the funding.

If you aren’t eligible for the funding, or you miss out (only 250 grants are available), you should apply for a postgraduate loan from SAAS, the Student Awards Agency Scotland. You will need to let SAAS know you’re ineligible for the Scottish Social Services Council bursary.

Full-time undergraduates and postgraduates who are taking a placement can receive the Practice Learning Support Grant (PLSG). This grant of £750 is towards your travel and can also be used towards meals or any clothing you may need. If you exceed this amount – for example, while on a placement in a remote or rural area – additional funding may be available.

In Northern Ireland

Those who qualify for the Student Incentive Scheme for social workers in Northern Ireland get an annual payment of £4,000 plus an allowance of £500 for 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, if you get a social work bursary you can still apply for 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 dependants’ grants you claim.

For study at postgraduate level, you cannot get student finance if you receive a bursary.

In England, if you apply for an NHS social work bursary but only get the placement travel allowance (PTA), you can still apply for a postgraduate loan. But this process takes time. Some students choose not to apply for the bursary and simply apply for a loan, missing out on the PTA.

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

Who qualifies for a bursary?

• You can’t already have a qualification as a social worker.
• You must have lived in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man for at least three years before starting your course and must apply for social work funding from the nation where you live.
• You must meet the other residence criteria outlined on our page about 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 that 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 being 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 your chance of success may also depend on whether you’ll be nominated for a bursary by your uni. (This does not apply to students in Scotland.) You may be assessed on your academic performance and commitment, as well as other factors. Some unis may operate on a first-come-first-served basis for postgrad students.

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, only students nominated by their uni are invited to apply for the incentive.
• In Scotland, applications are submitted to the Scottish Social Services Council via its platform, MySSSC. You must complete the application in full along with any supporting evidence before you will be considered for a bursary. As there is a quota, it is better to complete your application in good time to ensure you don’t miss out. You must apply before your degree programme starts.
• 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 to you in instalments, which may be two or three times a year. If your funding includes tuition fee contributions, these go directly to your uni.

Once you’re awarded a bursary, you normally qualify for one until the end of your course (depending on satisfactory progress). But you must reapply each year to ensure continued payments.

How else to fund training as a social worker

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, there are a few other alternatives.

Graduate fast-track routes are offered, such as Step Up to Social Work or Frontline programmes. These work-based postgraduate diplomas will pay you a tax-free bursary of £18,000–£22,000, depending on the programme and location of training. As you’d expect, competition for places on these programmes is intense! You may need to apply well in advance – for example, Step Up to Social Work only recruits every two years.

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. In Scotland, a Social Work Graduate Apprenticeship is available. Vacancies are advertised on the Find an apprenticeship and the Apprenticeships Scot websites.

Finally, you can gain two professional qualifications at once by studying a joint degree in Nursing and Social Work; these qualify for the NHS Learning Support Fund instead. You can find out about bursaries for a nursing degree on our page about NHS funded courses.