Funding for MA Social Work

The funding information is based on 25/26 information.

This information is primarily for UK students and students with ‘Home fees’ status. International students and students with an ‘overseas fee’ status are not usually eligible for funding from the UK government (including Social Work Bursaries and Masters Loans). International students can find information on funding on the International fees and funding page.

Tuition Fees

Tuition Fees for UK Home students starting their course in 2026/27 are £9,000 each year of the 2 year full-time course (so £18,000 in total). The tuition fee for overseas fee status students starting their course in 2026/27 is £15,000 each year of the 2 year full-time course (so £30,000 in total). Tuition Fees must be paid in accordance with the University's Student Financial regulations. 

MA Social Work Bursary allocations

You might qualify for a Social Work Bursary from the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). The number of bursaries allocated to Leeds Trinity students is capped and is decided by the DHSC. Not all students studying a social work course will receive one. Leeds Trinity will notify the DHSC which students are eligible for an allocated bursary place (also known as a capped place) based upon Leeds Trinity criteria (bursary eligibility is considered based on interview scores). The DHSC will then advise applicants whether they have been allocated a bursary place. This notification of a place from the DHSC may not come until shortly before the start of the course.

All applicants should apply for the Social Work Bursary. This means that you will have an application ready to process if you are allocated a bursary place. You can also receive the Placement Travel Allowance element of the bursary, which all eligible students can receive, regardless of whether they are allocated the full bursary package.

If you progress onto the next academic year of your course, you will keep your allocated bursary place, unless you have a break in your studies, repeat part of your course or change university.

Please note that if you apply for this course after the specified deadline, you may not receive a social work bursary if eligible for one, as this is the deadline for higher education institutions to notify the Department of Health and Social Care which students may be eligible for an allocated bursary place. If all course places are filled, we may close applications prior to the course application deadline.

The application deadline to apply for a Social Work bursary for September 2026 entry will be made available shortly.

MA Social Work Bursary amounts

The Social Work Bursary is a grant, so does not need to be paid back. You can apply for the bursary each year of the course. The bursary is made up of (based on 2025/26 figures):

• A tuition fee contribution of £4,052
• A non-income assessed grant of £3,362.50 (this amount includes the Placement Travel Allowance of £862.50)
• An income-assessed grant of up to £2,721 – find out more about how the income-testing works at Social work - Apply for a Postgraduate bursary | NHSBSA
• Some additional elements if you have dependants or a disability:
  • Adult Dependants Allowance (ADA)
  • Childcare Allowance (CCA)
  • Parents’ Learning Allowance (PLA)
  • Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs)
  • Find out more at Social work - Apply for a Postgraduate bursary | NHSBSA
• A Placement Travel Allowance of £862.50 if you are not allocated a bursary place (so are not eligible for the above elements).

You must meet the residency requirements, which are usually:

• You have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least three years before starting your course
• England is your home, for example, you live and work in England and have not moved there solely for the purposes of study
• And you are one of the following:
  • a UK national or Irish citizen
  • settled under the EU Settlement Scheme
  • granted settled status for other reasons
• Some other residency categories qualify, and some qualify only for tuition fee support. Visit Your guide to the Social Work Bursary 2024/25 (nhsbsa.nhs.uk) for more information

You are not eligible if:

• You are already a qualified Social Worker
• You are receiving funding for your course from any other public sector body (not including Student Finance England).
• A social care employer is:
  • paying you to attend your course
  • paying any of your tuition fees
  • giving you any paid time off to attend your studies
• You are receiving a payment from a practice learning provider for undertaking placement duties for them.

All applicants should apply for the Social Work Bursary. This means that you will have an application ready to process if you are allocated a bursary place.

For courses starting in September 2026, apply as soon as the application opens (usually March 2026). If you apply after the bursary deadline (usually August 2026), you will not be eligible for the bursary, even if you are allocated a bursary place by Leeds Trinity.

Create an account and apply on the MyFunding system Sign in to MyFunding - NHS Social Work Bursary - NHSBSA. Applications are usually processed within 20 working days.

You will need to provide identity and residency evidence the first time you apply. You will need to apply each year of your course, by the deadline.

You may not know if you have been allocated a bursary place or not, but you should still make an application, as you may still be entitled to the Placement Travel Allowance.

You will need to reapply for the Social Work Bursary for the second year of the course, and the NHSBSA will email you to advise you when to apply.

Payment

The bursary is paid in 3 termly instalments each academic year, and you will be able to see the payment schedule in your MyFunding account. Payment depends on Leeds Trinity confirming you are fully registered on the course and that you have been allocated a bursary place.

The Placement Travel Allowance is paid in one lump sum, either included within your first payment of non-means-tested grant, or in a one-off payment if you are not allocated a bursary place. Make sure you budget this accordingly across the year.

If you are awarded a Childcare Allowance, the subsequent payments will depend on you providing evidence of your childcare expenditure.

The tuition fee contribution is paid directly to the University, provided you are fully registered on 1^st December of the relevant academic year.

Master’s Loan

Students starting a master’s course in 2026/27 can apply for a Master’s Loan of up to £13,206 for the entire course (not per year of the course). Students must meet the residency and eligibility requirements to be eligible, and you can find out more on our Postgraduate funding pages.

Students not in receipt of a Social Work Bursary can apply for a Master’s Loan (provided they meet the eligibility criteria), which is £6,603 a year (for a 2-year full-time course), leaving the student £2,397 to pay towards their tuition fee liability themselves each year.

Students should only apply for a Master’s Loan if they know they are not eligible for a Social Work Bursary. You may need to provide evidence from Leeds Trinity that you have not been awarded a Social Work Bursary.

Students cannot claim the Social Work Bursary and the Master’s Loan. Students who are eligible for a Social Work Bursary and are allocated a bursary place will not be eligible for a Master’s Loan. The Social Work Bursary is financially better than the Master’s Loan as:

• It does not have to be repaid
• The non-income assessed elements (the tuition fee contribution and the non-income assessed grant) are £7,414.50 a year (and some students will also receive the income assessed elements and additional elements depending on their circumstances). The Master’s Loan is £13,206 for the course, so £6,603 a year for a two-year full-time course.

Students can receive the Travel and Placement Allowance element only of the Social Work Bursary package (if that is the only element they are eligible for) and still apply for the Master’s Loan.