Universities can bid for more healthcare course places

Press release

More students will have the opportunity to apply for places on nursing, midwifery or allied health professional courses in England, following unprecedented demand.

Two nurses looking at a computer screen

Even more students will have the opportunity to apply for places on nursing, midwifery or allied health professional courses in England, the Health Secretary has announced today, following unprecedented demand.

On 4 May the Education Secretary announced new measures to protect students and universities, including an additional 5,000 ring-fenced places for nursing, midwifery or allied health courses to support the country’s vital public services.

Large numbers of students are applying to study healthcare courses, and the government has now agreed to extend the timetable for universities to apply for the extra places to Friday 17 July, and to cover additional bids over the initial 5,000.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

Following the fantastic news last Thursday that we have over 12,000 more nurses working in our NHS compared to last year, we have seen huge demand from universities for the additional places we’ve made available on nursing, midwifery or allied health courses.

This pandemic has demonstrated just how important our healthcare professionals are, and the demand for places shows that there are thousands of prospective students looking to train for rewarding careers in our NHS.

So far there has been significant demand for additional places across a range of courses including adult, mental health and learning disability nursing, midwifery, paramedicine and radiography.

As universities have indicated that there is more demand for places, this extension will give them more time and allow them to bid with the confidence that there will be clinical placement capacity.

  • Higher education providers who want to bid for additional healthcare places can now do so up until 5pm on 17 July.
  • According the latest NHS workforce stats, over the last year (March 2019 to 2020) the number of nurses has gone up by 12,131, from 282,422 to 294,553. This figure does not include any staff who returned to the frontline during the pandemic.

Published 29 June 2020



New funding call for UK Earth Observation sector

News story

More than £800,000 is available to the UK space sector as part of European Space Agency (ESA) support for innovative commercial projects related to Earth Observation.

InCubed Graphic

The programme, InCubed, aims to support industry-led initiatives that will open new market opportunities. The call will bring innovative systems and products to market faster and help Earth Observation businesses compete in the global marketplace.

Unique elements of the programme include the opportunity for organisations to work with ESA, benefitting from its expertise, while boosting further growth in the UK’s world-leading space industry, which already employs nearly 42,000 people.

Alasdair Gow, Industrial Sector Lead for Earth Observation at the UK Space Agency said:

We depend on observations of the Earth from space in every day life, as they underpin weather forecasting, monitoring climate change, mapping our environment, and much more.

I’m looking forward to seeing the innovative new Earth Observation products and services that the UK space industry will develop thanks to the InCubed programme.

The UK has a fast-growing and world-class Earth Observation sector and our commitment to ESA programmes will continue to build these capabilities.

Published 29 June 2020



Students in Wales can apply now for postgraduate funding

Press release

SLC launches student finance application service for postgraduate students in Wales

Image of a woman in a meeting environment with the words Postgraduate funding written across it

The Student Loans Company (SLC) has launched its student finance application service for post graduate students in Wales.

Eligible postgraduate master’s students can apply for a combination of loans and grants to help with course fees and living costs. While postgraduate doctoral students can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan.

Derek Ross, SLC Executive Director of Operations said: “I’m pleased to announce that applications are open for postgraduate students in Wales. Students should apply online. Applying as quickly and correctly as possible is the best way of making sure funding is in place before the new term starts.” Key facts about Postgraduate Master’s funding

  1. Postgraduate Master’s funding is a mixture of loans and grants. The amount of grant and loan you get is determined by your household income.
  2. All eligible students are entitled to a grant of at least £1000 which doesn’t have to be paid back.
  3. You only need to apply for postgraduate master’s finance once, even if your course is longer than a year.
  4. You start repaying your Postgraduate Master’s finance the April after you finish your course but only if your income is over the repayment threshold. You repay 6% of what you earn over the repayment threshold which is currently £21,000 per annum. If you have other student loans you repay these at the same time.
  5. Extra help is available if you have a disability or have children or adults who are financially dependent on you.

To find out more watch our short film on Postgraduate Master’s finance

Key facts about the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

  1. You can get up to £26,445 to help with course fees and living costs.
  2. The loan is paid directly to you. It will be spread out over the academic years of your course.
  3. Postgraduate Doctoral Loans are not based on your household income.
  4. You can apply in any year of your course but you may not get the maximum amount if you apply after the first year.
  5. You start repaying your Postgraduate Doctoral Loan the April after you finish but only if your income is over the repayment threshold. You repay 6% of what you earn over the repayment threshold which is currently £21,000 per annum. If you have other student loans you repay these at the same time.

To find out more watch our film on Postgraduate Doctoral Finance and follow Student Finance Wales on Twitter and [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/SFWales).

Published 29 June 2020



Mandatory MOT testing to be reintroduced from 1 August

  • mandatory MOT tests for car, motorcycle and van owners in England, Scotland and Wales to be reintroduced to keep roads safe
  • drivers encouraged to book a test in advance to ensure vehicles are in a roadworthy condition
  • vehicle owners with an MOT due date before 1 August will still receive a 6-month exemption

Mandatory MOT testing is to be reintroduced from 1 August 2020 as COVID-19 restrictions are slowly lifted, Roads minister Baroness Vere has announced today (29 June 2020).

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, drivers were granted a 6-month exemption from MOT testing in March to help slow the spread of the virus. However, as restrictions are eased when safe to do so, all drivers whose car, motorcycle or van is due for an MOT test from 1 August will be required to get a test certificate to continue driving their vehicle.

MOT tests are important for road safety and ensure that vehicle parts, including tyres, seatbelts, brakes, lights and exhausts, are in proper working order.

Drivers with an MOT due date before 1 August will still receive a 6-month exemption from testing. However, all vehicles must continue to be properly maintained and kept in a roadworthy condition, and people are able to voluntarily get their MOT sooner should they wish, even if they are exempt from the legal requirement. Motorists can be prosecuted for driving an unsafe vehicle.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said:

As people return to our roads, it is vital that motorists are able to keep their vehicles safe. That’s why as restrictions are eased, from 1 August MOT testing will again become mandatory.

Garages across the country are open and I urge drivers who are due for their MOT to book a test as soon they can.

Only some garages remained open to conduct essential services during the coronavirus outbreak, but now over 90% are open across the country. Testing capacity has already reached 70% of normal levels and is steadily increasing.

While exemptions are still available for vehicle owners with an MOT due date before 1 August, it is vital that drivers still take their vehicle to be checked if they notice something is wrong in the same way that they usually would.

If drivers are vulnerable or self-isolating they should contact their local garage as many are offering pick-up and drop-off services, so drivers can get their car checked without having to visit a garage.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has also issued guidance to all MOT testers about safely conducting tests in line with the latest government advice.



Applications open for Postgraduate Doctoral Loans

Press release

SLC launches application service for postgraduate doctoral students in England

Image of two female students sitting at a picnic bench with the words Doctoral Loan across the image

The Student Loans Company (SLC) has launched its student finance application service for postgraduate doctoral students in England.

Eligible students can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan to help them with tuition fees and living costs while they study courses such as PhDs.

Applications for postgraduate master’s students opened earlier in the month.

Derek Ross, SLC Executive Director of Operations said: “I’m pleased to announce that applications are open for post graduate doctoral students. Students should apply online now. Applying as quickly and correctly as possible is the best way of making sure funding is in place before the new term starts.”

Key facts about the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

  1. You can get up to £26,445 to help with course fees and living costs
  2. The loan is paid directly to you. It will be divided equally over each year of your course
  3. Returning students do not need to reapply for their funding
  4. You start repaying your Postgraduate Doctoral Loan the April after you finish or leave your course. You repay 6% of what you earn over the repayment threshold which is currently £21,000 per annum. If you have other student loans you repay these at the same time.

For more information watch our short film on Postgraduate Doctoral Loans

Students may also follow SFE’s Facebookand Twitter channels for all the latest news and updates.

Published 29 June 2020