Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department makes any additional maintenance funding available to student nurses who work on placements during the university holiday period each summer.

Funding for nursing programmes is based on a 52 week academic year and therefore all clinical placements are included in universities’ standard term time and maintenance funding is available for the full year.

The level of funding available to student nurses depends on their household income and is also reflective of the time they spend studying during the academic year, including time on placement.

For undergraduate pre-registration nursing students who start courses on or after 1 August 2017, several additional allowances are additionally available from the Department:

- Child dependents allowance – an additional payment of £1,000 per student per academic year for students with child dependents;

- Travel and dual accommodation – the Government reimburses students for additional daily travel costs and pays for secondary accommodation whilst attending clinical placements; and

- Exceptional hardship – £3,000 per academic year for eligible students facing severe financial hardship.