Health education funding
Nursing, midwifery and allied health courses
Students studying the following courses in nursing, midwifery and allied health (NMAH) are supported through the higher education finance system, with students paying fees to providers and the OfS supporting providers through high-cost funding, the student premium and other targeted allocations:
At undergraduate level:
Dental hygiene and dental therapy
At undergraduate and postgraduate level:
Pre-registration nursing, midwifery, dietetics, diagnostic radiography, therapeutic radiography, operating department practice, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, prosthetics and orthotics, orthoptics, speech and language therapy
Pre-registration courses in nursing (all specialisms) are assigned to price group C1.
Pre-registration courses in midwifery and allied health disciplines that are subject to the transfer of funding responsibility for 2017‑18 are assigned to price group B.
Pre-registration courses in dental hygiene and dental therapy are assigned to price group A.
See our Guide to funding 2020-21 for further information on price groups.
Discipline specific targeted allocations
Supplementary targeted teaching allocations are provided to help sustain certain NMAH professions and postgraduate provision. The rates are:
Rates of grant per full-time entrant (FTE) for the NMAH supplement
| Profession | Price group | Rate of funding per undergraduate FTE (£) | Rate of funding per postgraduate FTE (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental hygiene | A | 0 | 0 |
| Dental therapy | A | 0 | 0 |
| Dietetics | B | 0 | 700 |
| Midwifery | B | 0 | 700 |
| Nursing – adult | C1 | 200 | 900 |
| Nursing – children | C1 | 400 | 1,100 |
| Nursing – learning disability | C1 | 400 | 1,100 |
| Nursing – mental health | C1 | 200 | 900 |
| Nursing – unclassified | C1 | 200 | 900 |
| Occupational therapy | B | 0 | 700 |
| Operating department practice | B | 0 | 700 |
| Orthoptics | B | 3,500 | 4,200 |
| Orthotics and prosthetics | B | 3,500 | 4,200 |
| Physiotherapy | B | 0 | 700 |
| Podiatry and chiropody | B | 1,200 | 1,900 |
| Radiography (diagnostic) | B | 1,200 | 1,900 |
| Radiography (therapeutic) | B | 1,200 | 1,900 |
| Speech and language therapy | B | 200 | 900 |
See our Guide to funding 2020-21 for further information on price groups and targeted allocations.
Funding of £3 million over three years was allocated to national initiatives that support demand and improve retention to enhance the sustainability of small, specialist and vulnerable pre-registration courses.
See strategic interventions in health education disciplines.
Data analysis
Recruitment and student characteristics
In 2019, the OfS analysed recruitment to nursing, midwifery and allied health disciplines in the year preceding the recent major funding reforms, 2016-17, and the first year of the new funding approach, 2017-18.
This analysis provides new understanding of the student population in these disciplines. It provides a snapshot of changes that occurred in the first year of the funding reform, though caution needs to be applied as neither the last year of one funding methodology, not the first year of a new one, can necessarily be considered typical.
Year one continuation data
We are working with health system partners to better understand retention in nursing, midwifery and allied health. Understanding student retention supports the work of Health Education England (HEE) and other health system stakeholders in planning the future health workforce. HEE has previously undertaken work in this area - find out more about their Reducing Pre-registration Attrition and Improving Retention (RePAIR) project.
Using data from HESA, the OfS has analysed year one continuation data for students commencing study of pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health disciplines:
These figures show continuation rates which compare favourably with those for the overall sector. Sector level continuation rates are available in our 'Condition B3: Sector level indicators' document and our analysis of continuation and transfer rates.
It is, however, important to note that this analysis measures whether students in the first year are still studying any subject in UK higher education in the second year. It is not the same as measuring whether students will complete a healthcare course in later years.
11 December 2019 - Year one continuation data spreadsheet corrected for three nursing strands (learning disability, mental health and dual)
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