2003 archive

Social work students to get around £3000 through the General Social Care Council

01/05/2003

Students in social work will receive around £3000 as well as having their tuition fees paid, thanks to a new bursary administered by the General Social Care Council.

Application forms for the bursary are available now through universities and colleges offering a General Social Care Council-approved social work qualification in England.

The bursary, funded by the Department of Health, is not means-tested and is designed to encourage more people of all ages and walks of life into social work by helping with their finances while they study.

Students will receive a bursary for each year they continue their study up to qualification and the normal length of their course and it will not affect how much the student is entitled to from their local education authority.

The new bursary is just one of a range of initiatives aimed at attracting people into social work, including a three year recruitment campaign and the introduction of a new degree in social work which focuses on practical work experience.

The degree replaces the diploma in social work, although some universities will continue to offer this until January 2004, and will ensure a high level of expertise and skill, as well as improving the status and reputation of social workers amongst the community and other professions.

Under the new bursary scheme which starts in the 2003-04 academic year, students in social work will receive a non-means-tested grant of either £2,100, £2,500 or £2,900 depending on where they live or study, £500 to cover the cost of travelling to practical work experience, as well as having their tuition fees paid. Postgraduate students may also receive more money if they are eligible for allowances such as the dependents allowance.

To be eligible for the bursary, students must be studying either a degree or diploma course in social work, must live in England, must not be sponsored by their employer and must meet basic student support requirements such as having lived in the UK for the last three years.

Application packs for both undergraduate and postgraduate bursaries are available now from colleges and universities offering the social work qualification. Alternatively, information is available on the General Social Care Council website on our Bursaries page or by calling the Bursaries Office on 020 7397 5835.