Student nurses in Scotland with dependents will benefit from a £3 million boost to three support allowances, the Scottish government has announced.
The extra money will benefit approximately 1000 students in Scotland. Three allowances will receive the extra funding. The Single Parents Allowance will be increased from £1303 to £2303 per academic year, while the Childcare Allowance will be raised to £2466 per year. The Dependent’s Allowance will rise to a maximum of £3640.
‘The improved financial support for students with responsibility for a child or a family member can help these students overcome some of the barriers to pursuing a career in nursing or midwifery and is based on what students have told us about the challenges they face,’ said first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The Scottish Government also announced that the number of places for those starting nursing and midwifery training in Scotland will increase by 4.7% in 2017-18, raising the total intake to 3360 places.
The announcement was welcomed by nursing organisations. 'Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction towards getting student nurses a fairer package of support,' said Ellen Hudson, Royal College of Nursing Scotland’s associate director.
'The additional funding will help some of Scotland’s nursing students, but the allowances are only one part of the support package. The bottom line is that every student nurse should be able to finish their studies without falling into hardship.’