Paramedic Funding Issues - the Rules are Changing!
What was the issue?
Last academic year in England, students who decided to study Paramedic Science as a second undergraduate degree were unable to access financial support from the NHS Learning Support Fund. However, students who study other health profession courses such as Nursing and Midwifery as a second undergraduate degree have always been eligible for the support.
This made Paramedic Science as a second undergraduate degree very inaccessible to students across the country, including here at Canterbury Christ Church. Many students didn’t even realise that they wouldn’t qualify for the funding because of the lack of clarity in the NHS and government guidance.
Why was this the case?
Anna Tims, writing in The Guardian, says: “The reason, according to the Department of Health and Social Care, is because paramedic science was only granted degree status in 2018 and therefore missed out when, in 2017, funding reforms allowed other healthcare courses to qualify for student loans. Since it became compulsory in September 2021 for new paramedics to hold a BSc degree, that effectively barred all but the most affluent of mature students from the profession.”
She continues: “Many who were inspired by the pandemic to join the NHS say they are being treated as second-class applicants because an outdated policy has excluded them from loans and grants available to almost all other mature healthcare students.”
The College of Paramedics say: “Given that students undertaking nursing, midwifery and other allied health profession courses as a second degree are eligible for funding, it is simply not fair or just to financially penalise those who want to study paramedic science.”
Has it affected our students?
The initial issue was raised to the Students’ Union Council on the 30th November 2021 by the 2021/22 Union Council Chair and Paramedic Student Benjamin D’Montigny:
“The NHS LSF is a fantastic way of financing the additional costs incurred with a healthcare course, including personal issue equipment, travel and accommodation costs to placement, and supporting students with dependents such as children."
“However, the fund is not eligible to those who are not in receipt of a SFE loan for the most part, and this denies students who fall in this category a significant amount of money. Not only are they denied £15,000 of funds over a three-year course, they are also not afforded the ability to claim expenses such as mileage. The latter was originally provided by the University prior to the LSF being available, but was removed.”
The Chair wanted to open a campaign and voice to the university the lack of support to those who fall outside the NHS LSF, such as second degree paramedics, who have to self support and incur large financial costs to train to work in the emergency services of the NHS.
A vote was passed by the Union Council to open this dialogue with the university after hearing several anecdotal accounts of students not receiving NHS funding and struggling with financial obligations of placements on top of the transport costs, and students needing to pay to be able to practise in their placements.
“Students are having to pay out £300-500 which creates a barrier - if you can’t complete placements, you can’t graduate” said one student at the Union Council Meeting.
This dialogue continued through subsequent Union Council meetings with the Union President giving updates from various research panels and his attempts at opening the discussions with the University.
At the Union Council meeting on 23rd May 2022, students had reported that some paramedic students were resorting to using foodbanks due to lack of reimbursement and delays in any funding assistance.
What have we done about it?
In a meeting with Canterbury Labour MP Rosie Duffield, our Union President Dan Bichener raised this issue, with Rosie promising to put a written question to the Government, which is: ‘To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason students studying for a Paramedic Science degree course as their second degree are not eligible for grants from the NHS Learning Support Fund.’
You can see the question on the UK Parliament website here.
What has happened since?
New and continuing students who are studying paramedicine as a second degree may be eligible for NHS Learning Support Fund!!!
on the 1st September 2022 the Government published the NHS Financial Support for Health Students (Sixth Edition) NHS Learning Support Fund Information for the academic authorities and students for the 2022 to 2023 academic year, stating that:
Second Degree Paramedicine Students
2.7 For the 2022 to 2023 academic year, students studying Paramedicine can also have their eligibility assessed on case-by-case basis if they are ineligible for tuition fees and maintenance support because they have an equivalent or lower qualification. Students will be eligible for NHS Learning Support Fund provisions from the start of their 2022-23 academic year.
This is a great win for CCSU students on Paramedic Science with a previous degree, we will now work with other Unions across the country to ensure that they also become eligible for SFE funding in the future.