Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the difference in financial support available to mature students undertaking (a) five-year undergraduate medicine and (b) four-year graduate-entry medicine courses, including in respect of (i) maintenance support, (ii) tuition fees, (iii) travel expenses and (iv) childcare costs.

The department works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a wide range of matters to ensure the education system supports healthcare students, including support for mature students.

In the first four years of a five-year undergraduate medical course, students can access up-front fee loans and partially means-tested loans for living costs from Student Finance England (SFE).

Additional means-tested support is available for full-time students on medical courses with one or more dependent children. This includes the Childcare Grant to help with weekly childcare costs and the Parents’ Learning Allowance for course related costs. Full-time medical students undertaking a clinical placement in the UK may also apply for a means-tested travel grant to help with associated travel costs.

Graduates wishing to study medicine or dentistry may choose a graduate-entry course. In the first year of graduate-entry medical degree, students may be eligible for a partial tuition fee loan and a partially means-tested maintenance loan from SFE.

The government has announced that maximum loans for living costs will increase annually in line with forecast inflation. For the 2026/2027 academic year, loans increased by 2.7%.

From year 5 of an undergraduate course and from year 2 of a graduate-entry course, medical students may access the NHS Bursary. This is non-repayable and includes a contribution towards tuition fees and further grants and allowances including support for childcare and travel costs, where eligible. Students in receipt of an NHS Bursary may also apply for a reduced rate loan for living costs from SFE.

DHSC increased NHS Bursary tuition fee contributions, maintenance grants and all allowances by 2.7% for the 2026/27 academic year.

Medicine and dentistry courses will attract Priority Additional Entitlement under the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), due to be introduced from January 2027. For the first time, students who choose medicine as a second degree under the LLE will be able to access full tuition fee and standard living costs support for the years of study not covered by the NHS bursary.