Petition · past parliament · Department for Education

Fund free tuition and full maintenance bursaries for all student nurses

Closed 155 signatures

What the petition asks

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.

Timeline

3 Aug 2021 Petition opened for signatures
3 Feb 2022 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 155
Status Closed
Department Department for Education
Opened 3 Aug 2021
Closed 3 Feb 2022

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.