Thousands of student nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and dental therapy and hygiene students in England will no longer have to cover placement travel and accommodation costs out of their own pockets before reclaiming them, under plans announced by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and the NHS Business Services Authority. 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 those costs before they arise.
Under the current system, students must book and pay for travel and accommodation upfront — often amounting to hundreds of pounds — and then submit claims before being reimbursed. A new digital claims system introduced in January 2025 has already reduced processing times, but students could still be left out of pocket while waiting for their claim to be processed. The new advance payment facility, delivered with the NHS Business Services Authority, will give students an upfront "float" to cover costs before they are incurred. Approved claims will be automatically deducted from the advance payment balance. Any outstanding float balance will be deducted from a student's final training grant instalment.
The government said the change would make it easier for students to take up placements in rural and coastal communities, where travel costs can be particularly high. The measure forms part of commitments set out in the government's 10 Year Health Plan, with a 10 Year Workforce Plan also due to be published later in 2026.
Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said advance payments would remove "a significant barrier to learning" and help students access valuable placement opportunities. Louisa Denye, Head of NHS Student Services, described the move as part of the NHSBSA's "ongoing commitment to modernise the way we support healthcare students financially throughout their studies." Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, welcomed the change, saying student midwives "shouldn't be left out of pocket" for their training. Caitlin Greenlagh, a third-year diagnostic radiography student at the University of Cumbria, said the advance support would make placements further from home, including in rural or coastal areas, "feel much more accessible."
Several verified sources, together with artificial intelligence, were used in the preparation of this article. The content was reviewed by our editorial team prior to publication. Disclosure provided in accordance with Article 50 of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act).
