BASW England secures student bursary win
Sam Baron, BASW England National DirectorThis positive news underlines the important role that BASW plays in representing our member’s interests at the top table of decision-makers.
BASW England recently made representations to the Chief Social Work Officer for Adults on behalf of local branch chairs who raised with us inequities in how financial support is distributed to student social workers.
The “Your Guide to Social Work Bursary 2025/26” explained that undergraduate students that withdraw from their course and return at a later date, for any other reason than maternity, lose access to bursary funding.
For those who withdraw temporarily due to a significant illness, bereavement or other issue which may be linked to a protected characteristic, they risked not having the financial means to finish their studies. It also represented a significant disparity with those on postgraduate courses, who can reclaim the bursary allowance in these circumstances.
BASW England raised the matter with the Chief Social Work Officer for Adults, urging her to escalate it to the Department for Social Care. With social work already facing a recruitment crisis, the risk of escalating this further by removing support for students was incomprehensible.
The Chief Social Work Officer for Adults has now confirmed to BASW England that, based on our campaigning, the government will change the guidance to allow undergraduate students the same opportunity to receive an additional bursary for exceptional circumstances, beyond maternity. This change will be reflected in the guidance shortly.
NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) will write out to Higher Education Institutions to confirm the change. They have advised that if a student is required to repeat/return, they should speak to their university to obtain an SWB03 form for taking this forward.
BASW England National Director, Professor Sam Baron hailed the hard work of member-led BASW England branches in achieving this outcome. She said:
“This positive news underlines the important role that BASW plays in representing our member’s interests at the top table of decision-makers. Thank you to all those members who brought it to our attention.
“Through making social work’s voice heard, we’ve made progress in ensuring the bursary system is a step fairer for all social work students. Nobody will now be at risk of losing their financial support based on changes to their personal circumstances.”
This positive outcome builds on years of joint campaigning and advocacy by the Social Workers Union (SWU) and BASW England, alongside the support and dedication of members, students, and support provided by Campaign Collective. Together, we have consistently raised the issue of student bursaries through campaign activity, consultations, member meetings and direct engagement with decision-makers. The work has been instrumental in keeping fair financial support for social work students at the forefront of the national agenda.
While this win is very welcome progress, there is still much to do to improve overall provision of student bursary support in England. The level of funding made available to students is still far lower than what is reasonably required, with it being frozen for nearly a decade. The number of bursaries being made available has also remained static during that time.
It’s critical that we make social work a viable career option for all. Want to help us achieve more campaign wins for social work students that can make this a reality? Contact us on england@basw.co.uk to find out how to get involved.
