The University of Warwick Student's Union and the online UniGuide also has some useful advice about managing your money and preparing for University. Student Funding Support also has a money management subsection: Money MattersLink opens in a new window.

Information on reduced food prices on campus, plus 'mystery food bags' from Warwick Retail

The Royal Medical Benevolent Society offers free financial advice to medical students

The British Medical Association (BMA) also offers financial advice to medical students

Help with prescription costs. Some students have struggled to pay for NHS prescriptions. Other students have successfully managed to claim for free prescriptions on the grounds of low income and tell us that it has been a fairly straightforward process.

If you want to find out if you are eligible there is a calculator which should help.

There is more information on government statutory support specifically for medical students: Graduate MBChB 2023 EntryLink opens in a new window and Graduate MBChB Continuing StudentsLink opens in a new window.

We know that many of our students struggle financially while studying with us, and that finding the funds to eat well can be a challenge.

Here are some supports to think about:

• There is a free app called 'olio' that alerts you to local free food - just download and use.
• The university is now giving out regular bags of food from it's cafes including at Gibbet Hill (coming soon!) - you pay £5.00 for a bag and are guaranteed that it will contain at least £15.00 worth of food. To participate, see this website: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/retail/sustainability/
• If you feel a food bank would help you, please contact the Students' Union; they can refer you and, in case of need, can also supply you with vouchers you can use immediately.

University of Warwick offer emergency loans to students who are experiencing short-term financial difficulty (up to £250), more information and how to apply is available from student funding, emergency loans from University hardship funds.

There are a number of hardship funds available:

University of Warwick Hardship Fund: this is the main hardship fund for students and should be your first port of call if in need: WHF MBChB/PGCE - Student Funding Support - University of Warwick

Financial help if in need of a diagnostic assessment: students who need a diagnostic assessment for dyslexia or similar may be able to claim back the cost: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/wss/students/disability/howwecanhelp/assessments/Link opens in a new window

University of Warwick Dean of students hardship fund: see this link (information about the hardship fund is half way down the page; referral is from student funding; students should apply to the University of Warwick Hardship Fund - above - first)

Warwick Medical School hardship fund see this link. Before applying for WMS hardship fund, students must have explored the University hardship funds first

Royal Medical Benevolent Society hardship fund offers a hardship fund to medical students in the final 2 years of training, see this link

British Medical Association (BMA). The BMA Charities Trust Fund offers one off grants to students who are in financial hardship (you don't need to be a BMA member to apply), see this link for more information

NHS Bursary Hardship fund. If you are eligible to receive an NHS bursary (years 2,3,4), you may apply for a hardship grant: you will be expected to have applied for the university hardship fund (details above) first: NHS Bursary hardship grant | NHSBSA

International students can check out these sites for support: International Students Emergency FundLink opens in a new window and the International Students Childcare FundLink opens in a new window.

University of Warwick Short Term Mobility Fund

The NHS bursary offers additional funding for students in years 2,3,4 of a graduate 4-year medical degree. The NHS bursary rules are complex and may vary depending on whether you're from England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland. International students are not eligible to apply for NHS bursaries. Please consult the NHS bursary website for more information.

Elements of the NHS Bursary

1. Tuition fees. If you qualify for a bursary the NHS will fund some of your tuition fees. This element will be paid directly to the University. The tuition fee component of the NHS bursary is not means tested.
2. Non-means tested grant /basic bursary (£1000). This is payable to all eligible students (there are some exceptions for EU students).
3. Means-tested bursary. This is in addition to the basic bursary. It depends on whether you are classed as dependent or independent, see the NHS bursary website for more information. This is paid to you to help with living expenses.
4. Extra weeks allowance ( means tested bursary). If your course runs for more than 30 weeks and 3 days (excluding holidays) you may be entitled to this additional allowance (the MB ChB course runs for more than 30 weeks 3 days in years 2,3 & 4).
5. Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (formerly practice placement expenses) . You may be entitled to have some of the costs of travelling to and from your placement reimbursed. Please see the NHS bursary website for more information . This may include travel expenses and accommodation whilst on elective. Please see our A quick guide on completing travel and dual accommodation expense forms.
6. Additional allowances. Dependents allowance (if you have people who are wholly or mainly financial dependent on you), parent learning allowance (if you have a dependent child/children), childcare allowance (if you have dependent children), disabled students allowance. Please see the NHS bursary website for more information.

When do I apply?

Usually you would apply for NHS bursary in the second half of year 1, for the bursary to start in year 2.

How do I find out if I am eligible? How do I apply?

See the NHS bursary website for information about eligibility and how to apply

How do I contact the NHS bursary department?

See this link for contact information

Funding your elective

Please see the elective section on moodle for information about bursaries available.

Students who are eligible for NHS bursary may be able to claim travel expenses and accommodation expenses whilst on elective (but not the cost of travel to/from your elective if your elective is outside the UK), please see the NHS bursary practice placement guidelines

Students with disabilities may be eligible for disabled students allowance. You can find out more from the University disability services

https://warwick.ac.uk/services/disability

Further information about disabled student allowance can be found here

https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas

Information about the NHS bursary for disabled students can be found here

81955-COI-NHS App Form FULL-T (staffs.ac.uk)

The Snowdon Trust grants awards to disabled students in higher education

For students with children in year 1 of their studies may be eligible for the Childcare Grant and/or Parent's Learning AllowanceLink opens in a new window.

NHS bursary- from years 2-4 you may be eligible for similar support as above: see the NHS bursary website 

Other University grants and bursaries

The Warwick Undergraduate Bursary

If you meet certain eligibility criteria you may be able to get an undergraduate bursary in your first year of medical school. The Warwick bursary, which is non repayable, provides extra financial support for qualifying students from lower income families. Awards up to £2000 per year are paid directly to students to help with your living costs. Some students may also be eligible for an additional bursary of £1000. This bursary has been uplifted in 2022/2023 to take account of the cost of living crisis. To find out if you are eligible for the Warwick Bursary, please visit the student funding webpages.

Warwick Bursary 2024 EntryLink opens in a new window 

Funding to support conference attendance/publication 

The WMS Academic Bursary Scheme is for students registered on the MBChB or on a full-time Masters programme who have been successful in getting their work accepted for presentation and may also be accessed by students seeking to secure funding for accepted publications. The scheme operates in the Autumn and Spring Term each academic year. Retrospective applications for conferences which happened after the last round of funding are permitted.

Small grants of up to £200 are available to support either conference presentation or publication. Unfortunately not all applications can be supported. To be considered for an award students are invited to submit an application: details, with deadlines, will be released to all students twice per year via moodle.

All submissions will be considered in competition, judged by 2 senior academics. The following factors will be considered: the quality of the submitted abstract, presentation form (poster/oral) and impact of the conference / journal.

Given the restricted funds available students are reminded of the need to identify publication routes which do not incur significant cost.

Student Initiated peer programme support (SIPPS)

Warwick Medical Students have a long history of establishing peer led initiatives which serve to provide extra curricula opportunities and offer bespoke support opportunities. In recognition of the excellence and innovation which occurs and the realisation that often these initiatives need access to seed funding or enhancement funding the School has established a scheme which will run twice yearly enabling students to bid for small grants for such work. It is anticipated that these will be in the region of £50 to £250, although larger start up and strategic bids will also be considered for exceptional proposals. Grants will be awarded to individual students with a requirement to submit (within 6 months of award) a summary of spend. In the spirit of innovation no request is too odd to be considered! Details with deadlines will be released to all students twice per year via moodle.

Yvonne Carter Memorial Fund bursaries to attend the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM).

The Yvonne Carter Memorial Fund recognises the achievements of our first Dean at WMS and is aimed at benefiting students during their course.

The Fund has generously endowed £1500 per year (£500 max per application), to support current Warwick Medical School students to attend the ASME Annual scientific meeting. This is in addition to the existing academic bursary funding scheme and applicants will not normally be awarded both for the same event.

Students presenting work at ASME should contact Sunny (sunny.patel@warwick.ac.uk) once work is accepted to indicate their eligibility for the Yvonne Carter Bursary.

Below is a number of external organisations offering grants or bursaries to medical students, this list is not exhaustive, if you have a recommendation to include in this category, please contact mbchbstudentsupport@warwick.ac.uk

The Foulkes Foundation

The Foulkes Foundation Fellowship scheme provides financial support for recently qualified PhD science graduates with research experience who want additionally to take a medical degree. The graduate must intend to do medical research after qualification.
http://www.foulkes-foundation.org/

Sidney Perry Foundation

This foundation seeks to help with second degrees where first degree was awarded at minimum 2:1 honours level. Grants up to £1,000 for students from year 2 onwards; students must be under 35 years old at the start of the course.
https://www.the-sidney-perry-foundation.co.uk/

Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust

Grants up to £1,000; students must be over the age of 24 and accepted onto or applying for a degree in medicine, dentistry, or veterinary studies, taken as a second degree. https://www.stapleytrust.org/

Professionals Aid Guild

Grants of up to £500 for financial assistance for those pursuing a second degree. Students must have claimed or accessed all other funding streams available (e.g. university hardship fund). Full criteria can be found on the following website https://www.pcac.org.uk/

Apothecary Grant

Two grants are awarded to each medical school annually; details of how to apply are released once per year to all year 2-4 students via moodle. Grants can be over £1.000 in some cases.