Extra payments worth up to £3,000 per year will be available for eligible students.
Initially announced in December, student healthcare professionals in England are to benefit from a grant of up to £8,000 a year to help with living costs.
The basic £5,000 maintenance grant will be available to the majority of students on undergraduate healthcare professional courses from September 2020 – a full list of eligible students is available here.
However, extra payments worth up to £3,000 per academic year will be available for eligible students.
Each year they could receive; £1,000 towards childcare costs, £1,000 if studying in a region that is struggling to recruit, and £1,000 if they’re a new student studying a shortage specialism.
Nursing specialisms with a shortage have been confirmed as mental health and learning disability.
Nurses are essential.
Minister for Care Caroline Dinenage said: “We want to support people with learning disabilities to live full, healthy and happy lives.
“The expertise of learning disability nurses is essential as they provide tailored care that can help people become more independent.
“In the years to come we’re going to need more learning disability nurses to provide high-quality care, so I’m delighted that from September all new students will receive at least £6,000 a year to help with their cost of living.
“I want to see more people considering a career in learning disability nursing, helping to achieve our NHS Long Term Plan ambition to improve care for people with learning disabilities.”
