Diploma in Nursing

[scoobydooby]

Can anyone help me? Does the NHS Bursary awarded for students doing a Diploma in Nursing INCLUDE tuition fees OR are they paid for separately/waived by some Uni's?

Some sites are saying that fees are non -payable for UK citizens whereas the NHS site says that the �6k (ish) bursary includes tuition fees.

Answers from current students would be most helpful.

Thanks

[Goodsoulette]

I will be studying diagnostic radiography and am entitled to about 7 grand plus housing benefit and child tax credits etc and on top of the my tuition fees will be paid. I imagine this is exactly the same for a nursing diploma.

[scoobydooby]

That's what I was hoping. Daughter has applied to a few Uni's to do a Degree in Adult Nursing. Anyway, had an interview recently at one of them and was told about the funding for Diploma's and the fact that students can now switch from Diploma to Degree during their final year subject to meeting certain levels. Apparently, the financial help for a Diploma is different to that of a Degree.

[Goodsoulette]

Diploma students cannot (apparently) receive the career development loan automatically for living expenses but can apply for it for other things (?) .... I don;t know too much about it sorry as I only have information for my situation. From what i can see it looks like the diploma bursary is actually higher than the degree.

[meltoadhall]

as a diploma student with 5 weeks to go, i am paid the nhs bursary every month and have not paid any fees.
if you do the degree in the final year you lose the bursary but not sure what happens then.

check with the school of nursing for actual figures.

[Goodsoulette]

If you do the degree in the final year you get a lower bursary and then have to top up with a grant from the LEA.

[scoobydooby]

OMG it's sooo confusing . Daughter was all set to do a degree but with the change implemented since Sept last year (switch from Diploma to Degree), it would now appear that she'd be better off financially if she did the switch for the final year. Wouldn't his prevent potential degree students from enrolling on the degree initially though? Surely, if my daughter's been told to have a re-think, so will everyone else and, ultimately, we'll end up with everyone applying for the Diploma courses (with a view to switching at the end of yr 2) instead of applying for the Degrees.

[Goodsoulette]

The option to switch at the end is becoming more and more limited apparently. They will phase it out. It was introduced when you got grants instead of loans, thats why the system is as it is.

I can tell you though that my mum has been a nurse for many years and she topped it up with a degree in midwifery about 13 years ago. She says that diplomas in nursing are just as valuable as degrees and they don't automatically mean better jobs. You will learn more in your first year of nursing than any course can teach you and demonstrating excellent nursing skills as a better diploma nurse rather than being a mediocre nurse who took the degree path will get you the job. They both start out at grade D ad its very unlikely that two newbies will be exactly the same at everything, but if they were this is possibly the case where a degree would be beneficial, or if you were to leave nursing and join a graduate program where they dont care what you have studies as long as it is to degree level.

[scoobydooby]

No, this is something different. The 'switching' that we've been informed about has only been available for Students starting nursing from Sept 2007........have done some internet research.

Thanks anyway Goodsoulette, you've been a great help.

[bednobs]

i dont agree with goodsoulette.
I work in the nhs at the moment, and degrees are becoming very important for career progression in nursing. I have topped up my diplma to a degree as a nurse (not a student) because i could not progress my career without it.

i would advise her to do a degree if she can (either by doing a degree course or by changing in the last year - you have to have at least 60% to be able to swap i believe)
Honestly even getting an employer to pay for you to do part time study is hard, let alone working full time and studying for a degree at the same time. Diploma student can't apply for a student loan by the way.
I dont know how long ago your mum was in nursing goodie but they dont pay nurses at grade d anymore - its all agenda for change now and newbies start at a band 4 or 5 i believe

[clare_1]

I am a nursing student doing the diploma and can assure you that you do not have to pay fees. I have been advised from many sources not to switch to degee in thelast year as to progress in nursing you need to gain extra qualifications and can get your degree when you do that or once qualified you can get the degree then as it only involves a few modules. Rather then having no money and having a much harder third year I reccommend sticking to the degree.

[clare_1]

By the way diploma student gets �500 a month regardless of circumstance and more for certain circumstances. A degree student who lives with parents or in halls gets around �250is a month. I get �770 for doing diploma as i have a child and am a mature student and I found out if I was doinf the degree I would get around �510.