The UK has always provided advanced medical knowledge. The country has the world’s top leading hospitals, practice centres and professional institutions that provide the best educational development opportunities in the field of medicine and nursing. For international students, the MSc in nursing degree is a global degree that allows nurses to work in the UK as well as in any other country in the world. Their degree is accepted by all countries.
The country also supports various scholarships and financial support. Students have high opportunities for scholarships and funds for their undergraduate, postgraduate and even graduate degrees in the nursing universities of the United Kingdom. Some of the universities that provide scholarships to international students are the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, the University of Surrey Ted Adams, the University of Edinburgh, and Queen’s University. UK resident students can get financial aid up to 5000 pounds which is not applicable to international students.
The career prospect of nursing is also high in the UK. Up to 94 per cent of students get jobs within six months of their nursing education. Since there is high demand for nurses in the country, they can also switch from one job to another easily. With education, experience, and gaining knowledge, they also get good promotions in their career. Thus, these are the primary reasons why students prefer nursing study in the UK.
The common undergraduate and graduate courses available in the UK are:
The common post-graduate courses available in the UK are:
Apart from these, there are multiple short nursing courses that are available in the UK. Some of them include End-of-Life Care for People with Dementia, Dental Assistant, Perioperative Advances in Safe and Effective Patient Care, Quality Improvement in Maternal and Newborn Health, Child Development, and Newborn and Infant Physical development. The time period of these courses varies widely. While some courses take time as less as 21 days, others may require one year. On average the time ranges from three months to one year.
Undergraduate Students: For undergraduate students, the nursing courses take a minimum of three years. The degree is often known as the Diploma of Nursing.
Graduate Students: For graduate students the nursing courses take a minimum of three years.
Post-graduate Students: the Masters’ degree in nursing is for two years. Students can get their MSc degree in nursing after two years of the course.
The cost of studying is high in the United Kingdom. Education is not easily affordable here in for international students due to the high prices. However, the country wants to attract foreign students for the nursing course and hence have made schemes of various scholarship that have made it easier to study nursing in the UK.
Undergraduate Students - there is no fixed price for the diploma that is mentioned in the UK university, the course of a diploma is usually two years and the cost of studying abroad is usually less than the graduate degree cost.
Graduate Students - the average cost of studying a bachelor of nursing in the UK is about 16,000-30,000 GBP which is equivalent to 14 to 27 lakhs for international students.. this is the entire cost of the three years course of a nursing degree that is offered by more than 50 universities in the country.
Post-graduate Students – the average cost of studying masters in nursing in the universities of the UK are between 10,000 GBP and 40,000 GBP
The cost of living is one of the biggest concerns in the UK. London is considered one of the costliest cities to live in. For students, housing rent is one of the biggest issues in the budget. for many people working there or students studying there, it takes half of their salary on scholarship to pay their rent. The average rent in the UK as observed in 2021 is 1007 pounds per month. The rent also varies depending on the type of house being rented and the number of people living. For example, for a single person, the average cost is 725 pounds which is still less than for those living with families. Single people sharing rooms are still pocket friendly compared to single living.
Transportation cost is also fairly high. In the UK, all transportation is owned by a private organization and the government has no control over them. Thus, there are no passes for students. A public bus ride in London costs up to 1.50 pounds per hour. On average, the monthly commuting cost in London is about 186 dollars which are considered higher than all cities in the world. Trains are also owned by private organizations thus, are costly.
The average cost of electricity in the UK is about 34 pounds per month. The water bill varies with the place. However, the estimated cost of water and sewage bill is about 400 pounds per year. Thus, students are bound to save on water and avoid unnecessary spending on electricity to save money. The average cost of broadband in the UK is 27.50 pounds, including internet services as TV services.
For international students, the average cost of living single person is about 859 pounds which are about 10,308 pounds per year on average. In Edinburg, this cost 684 pounds and 8,208 pounds respectively. In Cardiff, it is 662 pounds and 7,944 pounds respectively. The most affordable cities in the UK are considered Durham, Belfast, Leicester, Stirling, Lancaster, Cardiff, Newcastle, Coventry, Warwick, and Lincoln. In order to pay rent and afford other vital daily requirements, most students indulge themselves in part-time jobs.
Since the living cost of the UK is overall very high, the common practices that should be adapted by international students are sharing and renting since sharing apartments have very high rent. The transaction becomes easier with a local bank account. Thus, they should open one after settling there for studies. Overall, students should try to minimize their extra money wastage by saving electricity, saving water, eating home cooer foods rather than ordering from outside daily, and creating a sustainable living system. they should also practice some smart commuting services like developing various cards like the contactless card and oyster card. Uber is cheaper than taxis.
The most economic way of travelling long distances is by coaches in the UK. If travelling by plane, the students should plan earlier and try to book tickets as early as possible since the price of flight tickets tends to rise higher with time. Many students often plan to stay in the outskirts rather than stay in the main city like London and Edinburg. This saves them the cost of high rents which are lower in the outskirt areas compared to the cities.
There are multiple nursing scholarships that are provided by different universities. Some examples of scholarships that are available in 2023 are:
Scholarship Name |
Course |
Funding |
Mature Student Scholarship At University Of Leicester 2023
|
Bachelors |
Partial |
South Asia Postgraduate Excellence Award 2023
|
Masters |
Only tuition fees |
University Of Dundee Alumni Scholarship 2023
|
Bachelors, Masters, PhD |
Partial funding |
NCUK Undergraduate Merit Scholarship 2023
|
Bachelors |
Only tuition fees |
Sri Lanka High Achievers Awards At Nottingham Trent University 2023
|
Bachelors, Masters |
Only tuition fees |
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) International Undergraduate Scholarships 2023
|
bachelors |
partial |
Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarships For SC Students 2023
|
Bachelors, Masters, PhD |
Full funding |
The most common nursing scholarships in the UK are:
Florence Nightingale Foundation - there are a range of leadership scholarship that are given from this foundation.
Queen’s University Belfast Patricia Napier Scholarships – two postgraduate scholarship that covers tuition and registration fees are available to study an MSc or postgraduate diploma at Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Nursing and Midwifery.
RCN Foundation Scholarships – range of educational and hardship grants provided to nursing students and professionals including the Olufunke Adeyeye Education Grant which supports nurses and midwives from ethnic minority backgrounds to further their professional studies.
NHS Nursing Bursary – this is for the residents of the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man who have stayed there 3 years up to the start of the academic year. 1000 pounds grants are provided to nursing and midwifery students.
The Royal College of Nursing – this scholarship can be applied for those who have qualified nurse working in Wales or studying nursing in any university in Wales. It awards 1000 pounds.
University of Surrey Ted Adams Trust Scholarships for Student Nurses – it provides an amount of 3000 pounds for upto three years to students above age 25 years studying undergraduate or postgraduate nursing degree at the university.
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There are many great universities in the UK that offer nursing degrees, and the best one for you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. However, here are some universities that are considered to be among the best for studying nursing in the UK:
Tuition fees for nursing degrees in the UK vary by university and can depend on factors such as location, reputation, and program offerings. However, generally speaking, studying at a university in England can be more expensive than studying at a university in Scotland or Wales.
In Scotland, for example, tuition fees for undergraduate degrees are currently free for students from Scotland and the EU. However, for students from other parts of the UK or outside the EU, the tuition fees for nursing degrees can range from £1,820 to £9,250 per year, depending on the university and the program.