The funding arrangements for Graduate Entry students are complicated. The funding you receive will completely depend on your individual circumstances and this section is only offered as an overview. You should always check your eligibility and contact your local education authority to find out what you are entitled to.
Differences between 4 and 5 year courses
If you are an English graduate studying in England, the funding you will get depends on the type of degree you do. If you are studying on a graduate entry (4 year programme) you will receive NHS funding from the second year of your course. If you study on a 5 or 6 year course you will only receive funding from the 5th year onwards.
Your Upfront Contribution (Overall Cost including Loan)
| Graduate entry course | Standard course (As a Graduate) | |
| Year 1 | YOU (£3465) + SFE (£5535) | YOU (£9000) |
| Year 2 | NHS (£3465) + SFE (£5535) | YOU (£9000) |
| Year 3 | NHS (£3465) + SFE (£5535) | YOU (£9000) |
| Year 4 | NHS (£3465) + SFE (£5535) | YOU (£9000) |
| Year 5 | NHS | |
| Year 6 | NHS |
(In first year of Graduate-entry medicine, Graduates are entitled to a non-means tested loan of £5535 from Student Finance England - Information provided by Nottingham University, and correct at time of writing)
As a graduate medical student, you are only eligible for the maintenance loan, you are not entitled to a maintenance grant or a tuition fee loan.
You will have to pay your own tuition fees upfront for the SFE funded years.
NHS funding
For the years that are funded by the NHS, you won’t have to pay your tuition fees at all (as long as you qualify for the NHS funding, which is usually based on residence in England). Tuition fees are paid straight to the university and you don’t have to pay them back.
In the years funded by the NHS, your maintenance loan by SFE will be reduced. You will however receive an NHS Bursary.
So how much will I get and how much will I need?
Graduate entry course (4 years)
| Year of study | Your financial input | Tuition Loan Required/Available | NHS Bursary | |
| Year 1 | £3465 | £5535 | 0 | |
| Year 2 | £0 | £5535 | £0 to 2739 | |
| Year 3 | £0 | £5535 | £0 to 2739 | |
| Year 4 | £0 | £5535 | £0 to 2739 |
Standard course (5 or 6 years)
| Year of study | Your financial input | Tuition Loan Required/Available | NHS Bursary | |
| Year 1 | £9000 | £0 | £0 | |
| Year 2 | £9000 | £0 | £0 | |
| Year 3 | £9000 | £0 | £0 | |
| Year 4 | £9000 | £0 | £0 | |
| Year 5 | £0 | £0 | £0 to 2739 |
N.b Years financial input is £0 indicates NHS funding.
As the tables above show, financing a standard medical degree as a graduate is very difficult, and there is little support available from external agencies. Below are a number of organisations that may be of some use.
Personal loans for medical school
Several banks will lend medical students money to cover their costs. Click on the links below for further information.
Natwest