WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF CUTTING DOWN NURSING STUDENT BURSARY IN THE FUTURE OF NURSING PRACTICE IN THE UK?
This essay will critically explore the impact of cutting down nursing student bursaries in the practice of nursing in the UK. A brief description of what a student bursary entails will be provided to clarify its contribution to the practice of nursing. The negative effects of cutting down student bursaries will be explored. The new scheme that will replace it will be identified and its rationale provided. Ultimately, the aim of this essay is to provide an analysis on whether cutting down nursing student bursaries is beneficial or detrimental to the future of the nursing profession and the quality of healthcare services in the UK.
The nursing student bursaries form part of the scheme of the NHS Student Bursaries supplied by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA 2012). It essentially awards an annual payment from the NHS to help students studying medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery or other healthcare courses with their study and living costs (Gov UK 2016). As explained by Government UK (2016)
A full-time NHS student can get a bursary from the NHS which depends on the household income (e.g. student’s income, parents’ income or spouse’s income), a 1000 GBP grant from the NHS (for full time students or a reduced amount for part-time students) and a reduced maintenance loan from the Student Finance England.
The NHS pays the tuition fees directly to the university (Gov UK 2016). A student can even receive extra financial help if he/she has a long term disability, a mental health condition, a specific learning disability, children or adult dependents (Gov UK 2016).
