Worried about the cost of applying to and studying medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine? This guide explains every route to funding: the NHS Bursary, Student Finance tuition and maintenance loans, university bursaries and scholarships, and funding for graduate-entry and international students. It also covers the TheUKCATPeople UCAT preparation bursary, offered on a means-tested basis to widen access to support.
Do You Offer A Bursary?
At TheUKCATPeople, we firmly believe that everyone deserves a fair chance to pursue a career in medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine - regardless of their background, financial situation, or personal circumstances.
We understand that preparing for these competitive courses can be both exciting and overwhelming. For many students, financial pressures can make the journey even more challenging. Our team, made up of doctors, dentists, and vets, has been through it ourselves, and we know how important the right support can be. We also continue to support students who qualify for our bursary programme through joining onto our UCAT Courses.
That’s why we’re committed to making our services accessible to those who need them most. Alongside our free strategy consultations, free blog articles, free guide articles Q&A guides, and online resources, we also offer full access to our support for a limited number of students each year - completely free of charge - for students who may be facing financial or personal barriers.
This includes access to our UCAT Courses, and in some cases, further tailored support depending on individual need. We do this quietly and without fuss, because we believe no one should be held back simply because of their circumstances.
How much does it cost to study medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine?
A UK medical or dental degree is one of the longest and most expensive undergraduate routes. For 2025/26, the tuition fee cap in England is £9,535 per year, and a standard medicine course lasts five or six years, so tuition alone can total roughly £47,000 to £57,000 before living costs. Add accommodation, travel to placements, clinical equipment and exam fees, and the full cost of qualifying as a doctor runs well into six figures. For a detailed breakdown, see our guide on how much it costs to become a doctor in the UK.
The good news is that the funding system is designed so you do not pay tuition upfront. Most home students use a mix of Student Finance loans, the NHS Bursary in the later years, and university bursaries or scholarships. Below we explain each in turn. Always confirm the exact figures with GOV.UK and the NHS Business Services Authority, as rates are reviewed every academic year.
Student Finance: tuition fee and maintenance loans
Eligible home students apply to Student Finance England (or the equivalent body in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland) for two main loans. You do not need a credit check, and repayments only begin once you are earning above the threshold.
- Tuition Fee Loan: covers your tuition in full, up to £9,535 a year for 2025/26. It is paid directly to your university, so you never see the money.
- Maintenance Loan: a means-tested loan for living costs. For 2025/26 the maximum is up to £8,877 if you live at home, up to £10,544 if you live away from home outside London, and up to £13,762 if you study in London.
Students starting in or after September 2023 repay under Plan 5: you repay 9% of everything you earn above £25,000 a year, and any balance left after 40 years is written off. Crucially for medics and dentists, once the NHS Bursary takes over your tuition in the later years, you can still apply for a reduced, non-means-tested Maintenance Loan from Student Finance to top up your living costs.
The NHS Bursary for medical and dental students
The NHS Bursary is the single most valuable source of funding for UK medical and dental students, and the reason "UCAT bursary" and "medicine bursary" are such common searches. On a standard five or six-year course you fund years 1 to 4 through Student Finance, then from year 5 onwards the NHS Bursary takes over, administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).
From the year you become eligible, the NHS Bursary provides:
- Full tuition fee payment: the NHS pays your tuition fees directly (up to £9,535 for a standard course in 2025/26), so you stop borrowing for fees.
- A means-tested maintenance bursary: assessed on household income, this helps with living costs and does not have to be repaid.
- A non-means-tested grant: a flat £1,052 (2025/26) paid to all eligible students regardless of income, plus possible extra allowances for dependants, disability or clinical placement travel.
You apply for the NHS Bursary online through the NHSBSA each academic year once you reach an eligible year, and you can usually claim a reduced Maintenance Loan from Student Finance on top. Because the NHS Bursary covers tuition and adds a non-repayable bursary, your final years of study are often cheaper than your first few.
Funding for graduate-entry medicine and dentistry
Funding for accelerated graduate-entry medicine (GEM) and graduate-entry dentistry works differently. On a four-year graduate course you typically self-fund a portion of your year 1 tuition through Student Finance, and from year 2 onwards the NHS Bursary contributes to your tuition (up to £3,830 for 2025/26) with Student Finance covering the remainder, plus a maintenance loan and the NHS maintenance bursary. The exact split is fiddly, so read our dedicated guide on graduate entry medicine funding, costs and fees, and our overview of graduate entry medicine as a route.
University bursaries, scholarships and hardship funds
On top of national funding, almost every UK medical and dental school offers its own bursaries and scholarships. These are worth applying for because they often do not need to be repaid:
- Income-based bursaries: automatic cash awards (often £500 to £3,000+ a year) for students from lower-income households, usually triggered by your Student Finance assessment.
- Merit and subject scholarships: competitive awards for academic, widening-participation or other achievement, applied for separately.
- Hardship and access funds: discretionary support if you hit unexpected financial difficulty during your course.
Always check the funding pages of each university before you firm your choices. Our UK medical schools hub and UK dental schools hub can help you compare schools, and our entry requirements guide covers what you need to secure a place in the first place.
Funding for international students
International (overseas) students are not eligible for Student Finance tuition loans or the NHS Bursary, and pay significantly higher fees, commonly £40,000 to £67,000+ per year for clinical medicine. Funding usually comes from family resources, sponsorship, government scholarships from your home country, or a small number of university scholarships for overseas applicants. See our full breakdown of UK medical school tuition fees for international students and our international students' guide to applying before you budget.
The TheUKCATPeople UCAT preparation bursary
As we continue to grow, we’re expanding our ability to help more students each year. It’s part of our long-term commitment to widening participation and ensuring that future doctors, dentists and vets are chosen for their passion and potential - not their postcode or bank balance.
If you feel you might benefit from this kind of support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can email us or send us a message below. Let us know a bit about your story - whatever you feel comfortable sharing - so we can better understand how we might be able to help.
Every application is read with care and compassion. We're here to listen - and to support you in any way we can.
Because at TheUKCATPeople, we believe in you.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a UCAT bursary and how do I apply?
A UCAT bursary is financial support towards UCAT preparation for students who cannot easily afford it. TheUKCATPeople offers a means-tested UCAT preparation bursary giving eligible applicants access to our UCAT courses and, in some cases, further tailored support. To apply, get in touch via email or our contact form and tell us a little about your circumstances. Each application is read individually.
Is there an official NHS UCAT bursary?
There is no official NHS or government bursary for the UCAT exam fee itself. However, Pearson VUE (which runs the UCAT) operates the UCAT Bursary Scheme, which covers the test fee for students already receiving certain means-tested benefits. Separately, providers like TheUKCATPeople offer their own bursaries towards UCAT preparation and courses. Always check the official UCAT website for the current fee-waiver criteria.
What is the NHS Bursary for medical and dental students?
The NHS Bursary is government funding for UK medical and dental students in the later years of their course. On a standard five or six-year course it starts in year 5, paying your tuition fees in full, adding a means-tested maintenance bursary you do not repay, and a non-means-tested grant of £1,052 for 2025/26. It is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).
Which year does the NHS Bursary start for medicine?
On a standard five or six-year undergraduate medicine or dentistry course, the NHS Bursary starts from year 5 onwards. You fund years 1 to 4 through Student Finance, then apply to the NHSBSA each year from year 5. For four-year graduate-entry courses the NHS Bursary instead contributes from year 2 onwards, working alongside a Student Finance loan.
How much is the tuition fee for medicine in 2025/26?
For 2025/26, the maximum annual tuition fee for home students in England is £9,535, capped under the Plan 5 system. Because medicine usually lasts five or six years, total tuition is roughly £47,000 to £57,000. You take a Tuition Fee Loan for the early years, and from year 5 the NHS Bursary pays your fees directly, so you stop borrowing for tuition.
How do I pay tuition fees if I cannot afford them upfront?
You do not pay tuition upfront. Eligible home students take out a Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance, paid straight to your university, so you never handle the money. You only repay once you earn above £25,000 a year under Plan 5, at 9% of income above that threshold, with any balance written off after 40 years. From year 5, the NHS Bursary covers tuition instead.
How much maintenance loan can medical students get?
For 2025/26, the maximum Maintenance Loan from Student Finance England is up to £8,877 if you live with your parents, up to £10,544 if you live away from home outside London, and up to £13,762 if you study in London. The amount is means-tested on household income. Once the NHS Bursary takes over your tuition, you can still claim a reduced, non-means-tested Maintenance Loan.
Are there bursaries for dentistry students?
Yes. Dental students access the same NHS Bursary as medical students, starting in year 5 of a standard course (or year 2 of a graduate-entry course), which pays tuition and adds a non-repayable maintenance bursary. On top of this, individual dental schools offer their own income-based bursaries, scholarships and hardship funds, and TheUKCATPeople offers a UCAT preparation bursary for eligible dentistry applicants.
Can you get scholarships to study medicine in the UK?
Yes. Almost every UK medical and dental school offers scholarships and bursaries: income-based bursaries triggered automatically by your Student Finance assessment, competitive merit or widening-participation scholarships, and discretionary hardship funds. Awards range from a few hundred to several thousand pounds a year and usually do not need to be repaid. Check each university's funding pages before you firm your UCAS choices.
How does graduate entry medicine funding work?
Funding for accelerated four-year graduate-entry medicine is more complex. You typically self-fund part of your year 1 tuition through a Student Finance loan, then from year 2 onwards the NHS Bursary contributes to tuition (up to £3,830 for 2025/26) with Student Finance covering the rest, plus a maintenance loan and NHS maintenance bursary. See our dedicated graduate entry medicine funding guide for the full breakdown.
Is the NHS Bursary means-tested?
Partly. The NHS Bursary has two main parts: a means-tested maintenance bursary assessed on household income, and a non-means-tested grant of £1,052 for 2025/26 paid to every eligible student regardless of income. The tuition fee payment is not means-tested. Extra allowances for dependants, disability or placement travel may also be available. You apply through the NHSBSA each academic year.
Do international students get any funding for medicine in the UK?
International students are not eligible for Student Finance loans or the NHS Bursary and pay much higher fees, commonly £40,000 to £67,000+ per year for clinical medicine. Funding usually comes from family resources, home-country government scholarships, sponsorship, or a limited number of university scholarships for overseas applicants. Budget carefully and check our guide to UK medical school fees for international students.
What is Plan 5 student loan repayment?
Plan 5 is the repayment system for English students who started their course in or after September 2023. You repay 9% of everything you earn above £25,000 a year, repayments are taken automatically through the tax system once you graduate and earn enough, and any remaining balance is written off 40 years after you become liable to repay. It applies to both Tuition Fee and Maintenance Loans.
Does the bursary cover living costs as well as tuition?
The NHS Bursary covers tuition in full and adds a means-tested maintenance bursary plus a £1,052 non-means-tested grant (2025/26) towards living costs. Because this is rarely enough to live on alone, most students also claim a reduced, non-means-tested Student Finance Maintenance Loan on top in their NHS Bursary years, and may receive a university bursary as well.
Where can I find free help preparing my medicine or dentistry application?
TheUKCATPeople offers free strategy consultations, free blog articles, free Q&A application guides and online resources, alongside our paid courses and our means-tested UCAT preparation bursary. Start with our free UCAT Guides hub for revision and scoring, our entry requirements guide, and our medical and dental school hubs to compare courses, costs and funding before you apply.
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