15 places are available for eligible applicants to start the course in October 2026. The Trust will provide partial sponsorship funding for all three years of the degree programme, reducing each students’ course fees to under £4,000 per year – less than half the amount most students in England borrow from student finance as a tuition fee loan each year. Additional funding is also available through the NHS Learning Support Fund, including a £5,000 per year training grant, which can be used at the student’s discretion to pay off their student loan early or support with living expenses.
In addition to the sponsorship funding, BFT will host all clinical placements at Southmead Hospital, removing the need for students to relocate or commute long distances to undertake placements far from home. Students will be supported with accessing additional support, professional mentoring and after finishing their degree, will be offered a Registered Nurse role within the Trust following a successful interview.
This initiative opens up the opportunity for members of the local community to join the nursing profession who may not otherwise have been able to. Taking on a full-time degree and a student loan instead of entering into employment can be a huge barrier to those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with existing financial responsibilities, while multiple unknown placement locations can cause uncertainty and lead to disruption. Guaranteeing all placements at a single location within the local area means students can focus on their training in an environment they are familiar with, without the added complication of having to travel long distances to unfamiliar locations or repeatedly adjust to working in a new organisation. We hope that by reducing the burden of a student loan and removing some of the barriers to higher education and the nursing profession, we can create new opportunities for people within our community to start a rewarding, potentially life-long career.
Nursing colleagues are an essential part of all our hospitals, and it’s a profession that many find incredibly rewarding, with many potential specialities and opportunities for onward progression. This investment in nurturing the next generation of nurses and NHS professionals from within our own community will help future-proofs our hospitals and services so that we can continue providing patients with the best possible care, whilst also creating employment opportunities for our local population.
Prof Steve Hams, Chief Nursing and Improvement Officer for Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“I'm really pleased we're creating more accessible routes into nursing for people in our local communities.
“We know that finances and uncertainty around placements can be real barriers to training. By offering funded places and keeping placements local, this programme makes it easier for people to take that first step into a profession that is essential to the NHS and makes a real difference to patients every day.”
Visit BPP's website for more information and to apply now.
Information for applicants:
- Applicants must be able to provide proof of residence at a postcode within the Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire areas to be eligible for sponsorship funding.
- Sponsorship places will be allocated to eligible applicants based on need.
- Applicants must also meet the degree programme entry requirements.
- The degree programme is only available for full-time study.
- The course fee amount is based on figures for 2026/27 and may be subject to change.