Financial support
Financial support is available to BSMS students from both the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton.
For funding from both universities, BSMS students should contact the University of Brighton Student Advice Service:
Email: studentadvice@brighton.ac.uk
Telephone: 01273 642888
Drop-in times are available at brighton.ac.uk/current-students/contacts
They will explain which funds you might be eligible for, and how to access them. Their experienced staff can also advise on statutory funding, accessing benefits and making your money go further.
Sussex Bursary
If you are a new undergraduate student with a household income of less than £25,000 you will automatically receive the Sussex Bursary.
Amount
Year 1: £1,000
Years 2-4 £500 in each year
Eligibility
The bursary will be automatically paid to you if you meet all the following criteria:
- Starting your undergraduate course in September 2021
- Funded as a Home student in 2021
- Have an assessed household income of less than £25,000
- Registered as a full-time student in 2021
Find out more about the Sussex Bursary >
Your eligibility will be assessed by the University of Brighton based on information provided in your Student Finance application: gov.uk/student-finance
Other bursaries and scholarships include:
- International scholarships
- Merit scholarships
- Sports scholarships
VIEW FUNDING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX >
BSMS students are not eligible for the University of Brighton scheme.
NHS Bursary
From the fifth year of study, you may be eligible for an NHS Bursary. This may include:
- Support with tuition fees
- Grants towards living costs
- Additional help, depending on your circumstances (eg, Dependents’ Allowance).
Find out more about the NHS Bursary >
Students with a previous degree
If you are a UK student and already have a degree you may find funding difficult for the BM BS degree, as you will not have access to a Tuition Fee Loan. However you may apply for a partially means-tested Maintenance Loan to help towards living costs such as food and rent. Before you begin your studies, you should make sure that you have adequate funds to cover your living costs and tuition fees for the duration of your course.
You may be eligible for University of Sussex support (see above), and from your fifth year of study you may be eligible for an NHS Bursary to cover tuition fees and maintenance costs.
The universities and external charitable organisations are, at times, able to make additional support available specifically for graduate students, subject to eligibility.
Other financial support
To assist new full-time home (UK) students studying for their first degree, a range of financial support is provided by the UK Government:
- You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees in full, which you only start to pay back when you are earning over a certain threshold.
- You can apply for a partially means-tested Maintenance Loan to help towards living costs such as food and rent.
- If you are a parent or a carer, other means-tested financial support is also available, including a Parents’ Learning Allowance and a Childcare Grant.
See gov.uk/student-finance for further information on government funding for students normally resident in England.
If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you will be offered a different package of support: please refer to the relevant funding bodies:
Scotland: saas.gov.uk
Wales: studentfinancewales.co.uk
Ireland: studentfinanceni.co.uk
EU students
From 2021/22 onwards, EU nationals starting new undergraduate courses will not be eligible for student funding from the UK government. However, there are exceptions to this for Irish nationals and EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Additional issues
Remember in all cases to seek advice if financial difficulties impact on your studies, wellbeing or other parts of your life. BSMS Student Welfare Advisors will be happy to discuss these issues with you. While there may be limits to the course adjustments that can be offered, it’s important to ask for help if needed.