LONDON. The Royal College of Nursing has launched a campaign to write off student loans for nursing graduates in England. Its research shows that nurses now leave university owing more on average than doctors.
The numbers
- Nurses registering since 2021 can start work with debts of up to £50,000, up from about £3,000 before.
- Medical students’ fees in the final two years of a six-year degree are covered by NHS bursaries. Nursing students rely entirely on Student Finance England.
- The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that medical graduates earn about £200,000 more over their careers than nursing graduates.
- UCAS data shows twice as many nursing students as medical students come from the most deprived areas.
The RCN’s plan
- Write off loans for nurses who work in the NHS or adult social care: 30% after three years, 70% after seven and 100% after ten.
- Increase maintenance grants to match the cost of living.
- A parliamentary lobby at Westminster on 24 November.
An independent review by London Economics estimated the scheme would bring an extra 12,015 nurses into NHS work. General Secretary Nicola Ranger said the campaign is not about setting nurses against doctors.
The government’s response
The DHSC says it is raising maximum maintenance loans with inflation and will bring back targeted maintenance grants of up to £1,000 a year from 2028–29. It also says graduates are expected to be about £100,000 better off over their lifetimes.
Studying nursing in England? Don’t miss the non-repayable NHS Learning Support Fund (£5,000+ a year).
Source: Nursing Times (22 October 2026).