Closed petition Fund free tuition and full maintenance bursaries for all student nurses

Closed on 3 February 2022

Reinstate the full maintenance bursary for all nursing students to cover accommodation, subsistence and equipment. In addition the Government should fund all course-related fees.

Student nurses work over 700 hrs a year in unpaid placements, most in frontline hospitals. They should be 'supernumerary' and not counted as staff required for safe and effective care, however in practice they often do vital care work which would otherwise have been done by paid ward staff. The course fees are the same as any other degree despite student nurses providing a service during their training.

Student nurses should be encouraged to train post COVID and not be expected to work 000's of hrs unpaid, yet qualify with a debt of £27,250 in course fees for the privilege.