Eligible dental hygiene and dental therapy students in England will be able to receive advance payments towards placement travel and accommodation from the 2026/27 academic year.
Students currently have to pay travel and accommodation costs themselves before submitting a claim for reimbursement. The government said these costs could run into hundreds of pounds, particularly for placements in rural and coastal communities.
The change applies to students with full access to the NHS Learning Support Fund who are studying eligible level five or six courses.
Under the new system, they will be able to receive an upfront float to help cover the costs. Students will continue to submit claims, with approved expenses deducted from the advance balance.
They will be able to request a top-up when the balance falls below £50. Any outstanding balance will be deducted from their final training grant instalment.
The announcement does not increase students’ overall entitlement, but changes when the existing support is made available.
Chief dental officer for England Jason Wong said: ‘It’s great news that our dental therapy and dental hygiene students will be able to start their courses this year without having to worry about paying for their placement costs upfront.
‘We know that these upfront costs such as travel or accommodation can be a burden on our future workforce – so we want to make sure they can focus all their efforts on their training instead of worrying when their expenses will hit their bank accounts.’
The facility will be delivered with the NHS Business Services Authority as part of commitments made in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan.
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