Upfront help cuts placement costs for healthcare students
The following press release was shared on 1st September 2026 by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, NHS Business Services Authority and Alison McGovern MP. An accompanying response from the Academy for Healthcare Science is provided below.
Upfront help cuts placement costs for healthcare students
From 2026/27, eligible healthcare students can get travel and accommodation costs upfront, easing financial pressure and supporting rural placements.
- Upfront cash help for nursing, midwifery, allied health and dental therapy / hygiene students’ placement costs, meeting commitment set out in the 10 Year Health Plan
- Students spared from paying excess placement travel and accommodation bills out of their own pockets as government works to help with cost of living
- Boost for rural and coastal placements where costs can be highest
Thousands of future nurses, midwives, allied health and dental professionals will receive upfront support with travel and accommodation costs for clinical placements under new plans to reduce the financial barriers to training.
From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, eligible students with full access to the NHS Learning Support Fund will be able to receive advance payments for placement-related travel and accommodation costs.
The change will mean students no longer have to cover expenses themselves before claiming the money back. Under the current system, students must book and pay for travel and accommodation upfront often amounting to hundreds of pounds, then submit claims before being reimbursed. The new system will give students greater control over their finances while they complete their training.
While a new digital claims system introduced in January 2025 has already reduced processing times, students could still be left out of pocket while waiting for their claim to be processed. Advance payments will help ease those pressures by ensuring support is available.
It marks another step in the government’s work to ease cost-of-living pressures, putting money in students’ pockets sooner and helping them focus on training rather than bills.
The move will also make it easier for students to undertake placements in rural and coastal communities, where travel costs can be particularly high.
The new advance payment facility, delivered with the NHS Business Services Authority, will give students an upfront “float” to help cover costs before they arise.
Students will continue to submit claims as normal, with approved claims automatically deducted from their advance payment balance. If the balance falls below £50, they will be able to request a top-up. Any outstanding float balance will be deducted from a student’s final training grant instalment.
By reducing the need to find money upfront, the government is helping students get the experience they need, wherever they are, supporting the future NHS workforce.
By supporting the future of our NHS, we are ensuring that staff have got the best exposure to learning and experience to prepare them for their roles.
Later this year, we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan, which will further set out how we will ensure the NHS has the right people with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.
In response to this press release, AHCS have shared the following statement:
While it is disappointing that Healthcare science is not included within the first tranche of this work, the Academy for Healthcare Science appreciate that this profession will be considered in the next phase.
AHCS will be keen to support and contribute to this work on behalf of the profession, and to ensure equitable treatment of all students in healthcare professions.
Healthcare scientists are integral to the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Encouraging and supporting sufficient numbers of people to enter and remain within the profession is essential to meeting the future needs of patients and the wider healthcare system.
Source: Upfront help cuts placement costs for healthcare students – GOV.UK
